True Love Never Runs Smooth
by Nicia
Summary: Set after SK, the cabin happened, but the attack on the school didn't. Rose and Dimitri are together, but trying to keep their relationship a secret until graduation. Of course, things never go according to plan...
1. Chapter 1

My fanfic – Rose + Dimitri. Set after SK, the attack on the academy didn't happen but the cabin did – so Rose and Dimitri are trying to keep their relationship under wraps until graduation. But of course the path of true love never runs smoothly….

Disclaimer - I don't own Vampire Academy or any of it's characters, Richelle Mead does.

Chapter 1:

'_If I could say what I want to say, I'd say I want to blow you away. Be with you every night, am I squeezing you too tight? If I could see what I want to see, I want to see you go down-on one knee - Marry me today. Guess I'm wishing my life away, With these things I'll never say.' Avril Lavigne._

Lying in my bed with Dimitri's arms wrapped around me I felt like, in this one, small moment in time, my life was perfect. Held in his embrace after we had finally had a few hours of private time together; no Lissa, no patrols, no training – just us; our words, our thoughts and our sweet touches that showed just how much we loved each other, more than words ever could. Feeling his arms tighten round my waist as he placed a trail of burning kisses from my earlobe to the nape of my neck before he got up and began to change into his clothes ready for his shift, I let out a small contented sigh, causing him to turn, catch my gaze and smile gently.

"I understand that you don't want me to go Roza, and I don't want to leave either, but we need to keep up pretences until we've reached court at least – I'm not going to give Kirova or the queen any reason to strip you of your guardian title before you've even graduated." I smiled sadly as the truth of his words sunk in erasing the pout that had been ready to pop up on my face, "I know comrade, but I still wish that we had just a little more time. I just hate that we have to sneak around and never get to relax and be a normal couple".

A small chuckle escaped from his lips "Ah Roza, but if we were a normal couple things wouldn't be as interesting, would they?" And with that last quip he placed a gentle kiss on my lips before leaving with the promise "I'll see you at training".

2 weeks later.

'_Happiness keeps us sweet. Trials keep us strong. Sorrows keep us human. Failures keep us humble. Success keeps us growing. But only friends keep us going!' – Unknown._

I bit back a sigh as Lissa fussed around her room supposedly 'tidying up' ready for Christian to come over. I honestly didn't get why she bothered, I mean when they met up there was only one thing on their minds, and it wasn't how clean their rooms were. Leaving her to it I let my mind drift to Dimitri and a small bubble of irritation exploded in my chest. I knew it was unreasonable to feel this way. It wasn't his fault that we hadn't been able to spend any time together lately, and even our training times had now been invaded, with Alberta and the other guardians increasing practices for all novices because of attacks on other academies and moroi communities, which meant that we now had a few other students and guardians training at the same time as we did, making it impossible for a conversation that fell beyond the topics of; moroi, guarding and the best techniques that could be used in different situations. Slowly, I felt myself calming down with the understanding that Dimitri was just as powerless to stop this as I was, and a pang of longing filled my chest instead. I ached for Dimitri, to hold him, to smell him, to simply be with him where I could talk to him as an equal and not hesitate before speaking incase I said something that might make the guardians and novices suspicious towards us.

"Rose, Rose!" Lissa's shout made me jump in surprise. I'd been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't picked up from the bond that Lissa had actually been stalling for time before she spoke to me about what she thought might be a sensitive subject, listening in more closely I felt that she was worried for me. "Sorry Liss, I was a bit distracted, what were you saying"? I asked, trying to concentrate on what she was saying rather than the privacy issues between me and Dimitri.

I noticed that she took a deep breath before she spoke, and immediately I froze, fearing tat perhaps she'd figured out what was going on between me and Dimitri, and was about to call me out for not telling her. "Well, actually Rose I wanted to talk to you about, well, you."

"Me"? I was confused, there was nothing wrong with me, except for my longing for Dimitri, but I thought I'd hidden that from her, simply stating that I was tired from the training and extra combat classes we'd been offered.

"Yes, you Rose. I know you think that I'm all loved up with Christian, but I'm still your best friend and I can tell when something's bugging you – and don't blame it on extra training because you don't look tired, you look stressed. So please Rose, tell me what's wrong. Is it me? Have I been spending too much time with Christian? Is it because I've been nagging you about dating again? Have I-" I could feel through the bond that she was making herself more and more worried with the fear that she'd somehow hurt me in some way.

"Liss, calm down, I'm fine, really." I looked into her eyes, trying to get her to understand that I was telling her the truth, and I felt, and saw her relax slightly. "I'll admit, I have been worked up these past couple of weeks, but it is mostly to do with the training. Dimitri and I have had to rearrange our training because all the other novices have been practicing, and I've just not adjusted to the changes well" Mentally crossing my fingers and hoping that she'd accept it as a reasonable excuse rather than see that it for the half-lie it was. Understanding flashed through the bond and I relaxed further, knowing that she wouldn't push the subject any further. "Well Liss, I better go, especially as Fireboy's probably on his way over to 'inspect' your room, and I want to get some sleep before you two get too carried away." Laughing softly at the blush that crept onto Lissa's cheeks at the mention of what she and Christian would undoubtedly be doing, I gave her a hug before picking up my stuff and making my way back to my dorm.

_Hey guys. So, this is my first fanfic and I wouold really appreciate it if you'd take a min to review and give me some feedback on whether you think this story has any potential or not. It does get better, and I have the next few chapters ready to post! Thanks, Denicia xx_


	2. Chapter 2

Omg, I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday like I promised to do. I was supposed to do it before I went to London, but then the car got all messed up and I had to go by train, and the stupid train didn't have a signal so I had to wait until I got home the next day sorry guys! To make up for it I have posted yesterdays and today's chapter, and chapter 4.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy or its characters enjoy! xx

Chapter 2:

_True friends talk without intention, give without reason, care without expectation, love without condition, and are there through thick and thin.' –Anon._

I woke early for once and so had time to take a leisurely shower, wash my hair and even put on a little make up before heading down to the cafeteria for breakfast. Entering the hall I saw Lissa and Eddie all seated round our usual table with some food for me ready and waiting. With a smile I walked over, sat down and tucked in, sighing happily when the food filled my empty stomach only to see Eddie watching me with a bemused expression on his face. "What? Have I got ketchup round my face or something?"

"No Rose," Lissa answered with a giggle, while Eddie just shook his head and focused back on his own meal. "It's just, that was Christian's breakfast, he just went to get some napkins"

I grinned, the thought of irritating Sparky this early in the morning bolstering my mood even further. "Good, it'll teach him the law of the jungle."

"And what's that exactly?" I heard Christian ask from behind me. "And why are you eating my breakfast?"

"As I already said Sparky, it's the law of the jungle. Don't leave your breakfast where a hungry Rose might find it, finder's keepers, that sort of thing." I finished up with an evil grin and popped the last bit of toast in my mouth, crunching it extra loud for his benefit.

He sighed, glaring at me before turning to Lissa "Babe, couldn't you have stopped her, before she ate everything on my plate?"

"No _babe_, she couldn't have, so quit complaining and go get some breakfast" I paused holding out his plate "a couple more doughnuts would be great too, thanks _babe_." I grinned again in response to his glare before turning back to Eddie.

"So Mr. Castile, what do you suggest we do today?" I hadn't really planned anything, and thought it would be fun to spend a day with everyone rather than in the gym.

"Well, just before you got here, we were thinking of just watching a film, to relax from all the tension that's been going round, what with all the attacks and field experience."

"Yeah that sounds cool, whose room are we gonna go to?" As we finished speaking I noticed that Adrian had joined us at the table. "Little Dhampir, you know I'm always up for a 'movie' for two." I rolled my eyes at him and smirked, "Not in a million years Adrian, but Kirova might be up for it. Why don't you go ask?"

Christian arrived back at our table and sat at the chair furthest from mine. "Sparky, where are my doughnuts?"

"They're where they always are, if you want them get up and get them yourself, I'm not your slave."

I grinned at him before shooting back, "No you're Lissa's." and laughing with Eddie and Adrian as they caught on to the double meaning in my words. Lissa only blushed before attempting to steer the conversation away from her and Christian, "what about if we meet back at your room in 30 minutes Rose? That'll give you time to set up while I go to the feeders."

Adrian and Eddie agreed and offered to come help me set up, so waving bye to her and Christian we set off back to my room.

2 hours later:

"Well that was a complete waste of two hours of my life." We'd just sat through two hours of sappiness, fluff and the overuse of the excuse 'I love you, but that's why I have to leave before I hurt you'. Yes, we had watched Twilight. (**A.N. Sorry to any Twilight film lovers, but I really can't stand the films - please don't hate me!**) All the guys looked ready to kill themselves, while Lissa was curled up against Christian's chest sobbing over how 'romantic' and 'touching' it was.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with you Rose. That film sucked, God, that Edward guy needs to get over himself. And the girl… she just looks miserable the whole time. I mean, if the guy you loved kept threatening to leave, surely you'd show some sort of emotion." Christian commented dryly, "Lissa, I love you, but that's the last time you get to pick the film."

"Anyway Little Dhampir, what should we do now? What about a game?" Everyone turned to look at Adrian. Eddie looked wary "What type of game Adrian?"

"We could play some drinking games, or truth or dare, or we could be completely boring and play proper board games." Looking round, everyone was nodding the most at the mention of truth or dare, so I got an empty bottle out of my bin. "Right, everyone knows the rules but I'll go over them just in case; whoever the bottle lands on must choose either truth or dare, there is no other option. Each dare must be completed to the best of your ability and each truth must be answered honestly. If they are not, you will have to do a forfeit and an extra dare. The winner is whoever lasts till the end without wimping out or forfeiting." This last part was aimed at Christian and Adrian while grinning at the thought of all the mean stuff I could make Christian do when his turn came up. "Any questions? Nope? Alright I'll spin first." As I reached for the bottle, someone knocked on my door.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy, any of its characters or content.

Chapter 3:

'_Cause I know everything's gonna be alright, now you're standing here right by my side.' -N-Dubz, We Dance On._

'_God sent me an angel, up from above, that's gonna love me for life.' –Jennifer Hudson._

I sighed whilst going to open it only to find Dimitri standing there.

"Roza, Alberta cancelled my shift, so I was wondering…" His voice trailed off as he realized that I wasn't alone in my room. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were busy," his smile was apologetic; "I'll see you at training tomorrow." I was about to respond when Lissa interrupted. "Wait! Erm, Guardian Belikov, was it something important you needed to see Rose about? We can go if you need us to." He smiled warmly at Lissa, but I could see that his guardian mask had slipped back into place. "Thank you for the offer princess, but it was only to see if Rose wanted to practice today as the other students aren't training, which means we could focus on specifics."

"Oh, well, Rose if you want you can go, I mean, you were telling me yesterday about how hard you've been finding the changes"

Again Dimitri smiled but said "No princess, its fine. Rose needs time to relax, I should have thought of that before I came." I could see that the real reason he'd come over was because he'd been feeling the same as I had, and had simply wanted some alone time.

"Well comrade, why don't you just stay here and relax? You don't have to play, and if anyone comes up, you can say that you were supervising us because guys aren't allowed in the girl's dorms." I held my breath and glancing around the room it seemed like everyone else was doing the same, waiting to see whether he'd let us keep playing, or rat us out to Alberta. Finally he shrugged and stepped inside. "I don't see how I can say no, especially when you're all looking at me with huge bambi eyes." He chuckled again, and stepped over to my bed before taking of his duster and shoes, sitting down and taking out one of his western novels. Probably feeling the weight of everyone's stares, he looked up "What?" which caused me to laugh.

"Comrade, it's just the fact that they were expecting you to go running to Kirova, not come and make yourself comfortable on my bed."

This time he laughed with me, "Well Rose, by being comfortable I can do my job to the best of my ability, I thought you knew that." Rolling my eyes at him I turned back to the others, "Okay guys, let's start."

30 minutes later:

"This is boring. You come up with THE most boring dares in the whole wide world Sparky. Can't you come up with something more inventive than, 'chuck a pair of pants onto a guardians head from the window?' It's just lame."

"No it wasn't Rose, and that wasn't even my dare, so I don't get why you're complaining."

"I'm complaining because this is boring, if you were to ask Lissa, she'd tell you about the extreme dares that we used to do while we were gone from the academy-stuff you definitely couldn't handle."

"Really? I think you'll find that I could come up with even better dares than the ones you and Lissa used to do!" Luckily, Dimitri chose that moment to interrupt; otherwise Christian and I would have continued to argue for the rest of the afternoon. "Rose, I'm sorry but you'll have to stop now, I need to speak with Alberta."

"Wait! Before you go Guardian Belikov, can we just spin it one last time? I really want to make Rose regret everything she just said."

Dimitri didn't say anything, but simply stood by the door waiting patiently while Christian span it, only for the bottle to land on… Dimitri.

"Guardian Belikov. Truth or dare?"

"As Rose told you earlier Lord Ozera, I'm not playing. Just pass it on to the next person."

"Please Guardian Belikov, It'll be really easy. And you've sat there probably bored out of your skull, just play one time. We all want to see it."

Lissa decided that she was going to support Christian in his choice, and of course, Adrian would side against Dimitri whenever he got the chance. This left me and Eddie. Eddie having received glares from both me and Lissa said that it was Dimitri's choice leaving him outnumbered.

"Fine. Which one is quickest?"

"Truth. Your truth is to tell Rose exactly how you feel about her whether it's; love, hate, like, lust, irritation etc. You must tell her with an explanation for your feelings and in detail. And if any of us, including Rose, think that you are lying, your forfeit will be to streak round the entire campus." My mouth, along with everyone else's had dropped. Christian was right, this was an awesome truth, and he knew it, sitting there with a smirk on his face, ugh I wanted to punch him. From the corner of my eye I saw Dimitri move from the door into the circle and kneel in front of me, catching and holding my gaze. "Are you okay with me doing this Rose?" Just as I opened my mouth to tell him that no, he couldn't so this, that he didn't have to, Christian piped up again "It doesn't matter whether Rose agrees to it or not, Guardian Belikov. It's your truth."

Never breaking his eye contact with me, Dimitri nodded and took a deep breath.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy, any of its characters or content.

Chapter 4:

'_Winter storms have come, and darkened my sun. After all that I've been through, who on Earth can I turn to? I look to you, I look to you. After all my strength is gone, in you I can be strong. I look to you, I look to you. And when melodies are gone, in you I hear a song. I look to you.' Whitney Houston._

"Rose. I don't really know how to tell you how I feel as I've never tried to put it into words before. I love you. The reasons I love you are completely crazy, and I could never explain them in the right way, in a way that would make them understandable. You are my life. Like I told you after Natalie was killed, I love you so much, so much that I would go against everything I've ever been taught and known to keep you safe. I would go against my oath to keep you safe, I'd throw myself in front of you rather than my charge because I can't bear the thought of you being harmed. I love your laughter; it lifts my heart and makes me happy, even in my darkest moments when I question everything I stand for. I love your witty comebacks and sarcastic humour, they're as much a part of you as you fierce protectiveness towards those you love and care about, and your deep rooted personal loyalty which has given you friendships that will last you for the rest of your life. I love that you fight with such passion, not to kill, but to protect, and that while you are so, so strong and dependable, you're still vulnerable and you're not afraid to show it to those who care about you. You make me laugh, you confuse me, you anger me, you make me fall in love with you all over again each day and it only builds with each moment, never detracting. You're not fake. What we see is the real Rose, and I'm so thankful that I get to see it everyday."

His hand reached out to gently stroke my face and I leaned into his touch, letting his words flow over me and settle into my heart. "I love you even though I know it's wrong, but I can't stop myself. I try to push you away and it almost works, but all that has to happen is for me to even think of you, and my willpower crumbles. You make me understand. You understand me. You accept me for who I am no matter what my faults or short comings are, and from day one, you've made me respect you. When I first met you I didn't really know what to think as the reports I'd been given of a sulky, uncooperative troublemaker were a complete contrast to the feisty, caring, protective novice I found, who was so selfless that she'd allowed her reputation and even her future be put at risk to protect, not only her best friend but her charge as well. As time passed, I got to know you and see the sides of you that you didn't show to the outside world, and I began to understand your motivations- again I was struck by your selflessness as you sacrificed yourself time and again for those you cared about. And yes, though it's all I keep saying, it's all I really can say. I started to fall in love with you, and then when I stopped fighting it, I fell completely, irreversibly, head over heels in love with you.

I wish that I could marry you, that I could give you children and the life you deserve and I hate myself everyday for depriving you of that chance. And I want you to know that I would never force you to stay with me if you didn't wish Roza, and I will never get in your way if you want to have children. And I want you to know, if you choose to stay with me, I'll raise them as if they were my own." My eyes flew open, meeting his as the meaning of his words sunk in. I shook my head ready to tell him that I didn't want to have children if they weren't his, but he silenced me, placing a finger over my lips. "All I can say is that I love you Roza, and I always will."

At this point, I'd completely forgotten that Lissa and the others were still in the room as my eyes were locked on Dimitri's chocolate brown ones which were watching me with such tenderness and love that I couldn't believe. Slowly, I reached out and cupped his cheek in my hand, pulling him gently towards me until our lips met.

The kiss was sweet, gentle and warmed my insides. After a few seconds I felt Dimitri's arms move around my waist, pulling me securely to his chest as the kiss deepened and my fingers reached up to twist themselves into his hair.

It was only feeling Lissa's amazement, hurt and understanding through the bond that made me remember that the others were still there and that, to their eyes, what had started as a joke had turned into something completely unexpected. I ended the kiss and pulled back slightly, motioning to the others with my eyes so Dimitri would understand. Again, I stroked his cheek before turning to face the stunned and questioning gazes of Lissa, Christian, Adrian and Eddie.

'_The only barriers that can hold you back are the ones you put up yourself.' –Unknown._

_**Awww, I just loved this chapter :') let me know what you think! Was it too lovey dovey? **__**Also, in the next chapter, should I write out how Rose & Dimitri fell in love, or skip the re-telling and go straight to people's reactions? **_

_**Thank you for reading xx **_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy, any of its characters or content.

I'd like to say a massive thank you to my beta reader **lilmissryry**, firstly for encouraging the readers of her fanfics to check this story out, and secondly, for agreeing to be my beta reader. You're amazing, thank you so much! Also, her stories are brilliant, so please go to her page and have a read through of them!

I'd also like to thank **MaggieChauvin**, for the giving me the idea of how write this chapter and chapter 6 in the best possible way. I owe you big time.

And last, but not least, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to**; lilmissryry, Hanane, MaggieChauvin, IloveCeci, Destinee Rose Belikov, shyshy1016, gracefish21, rivereq, CaRiNeSs, snowgoose **and** Redheadtress** for constantly reviewing and encouraging me, thank you all so much! I'd also like to say to check out their stories because they are absolutely amazing!

Well, I'm gonna shut up now, but ta for reading and being so patient, Denicia xx

Chapter 5:

'_The right path for you may not be the one you are expected to follow.' –Unknown._

Looking at Eddie, I saw pure shock written across his face and a hint of curiosity. I guessed that he was rethinking over all the times he'd seen me and Dimitri together and was trying to see why he hadn't figured it out. Huh, I guess we were better actors than we thought.

Adrian simply looked shocked at the fact that I'd kissed Dimitri in front of everyone, and judging from the way he was squinting, he was probably reading the auras of everyone in the room.

Christian didn't seem shocked or confused, he looked p****d off. My guess was that he was annoyed his plan had backfired because he'd been expected Dimitri to slag me off and moan about how bad I was. Ha! Serves him right.

Lissa was the last person I turned to, because, if I was honest with myself, she was the person whose opinion I was most frightened of. Before I met her gaze, I checked through the bond to see how she was feeling so far. Firstly, I felt the shock that everyone else had shown; at Dimitri's outburst, at the fact that I'd kissed him, and the fact that he'd kissed me back. Hurt came next, with the fear that I didn't trust her enough to tell her, and curiosity as to why I hadn't told her, and how it had all happened. Then, surprisingly, came understanding.

My head snapped up to meet her eyes and then I realised that she'd figured it out, and wasn't hurt anymore. The reasons why I didn't mind the gruelling training schedule, the fact that I wasn't into dating or flirting anymore, the increased concentration on studying (something I'd never done before) and my strange mood yesterday all spelled it out for her. I loved him, I was happy and so, she was happy for me.

A huge smile broke out across my face and it was mirrored on Lissa's as she let out a squeal and flung herself at me, giving me a huge hug before pulling back to look at me seriously "I'm so happy for you Rose, a little confused, but happy. You need to explain though."

"Okay Liss, I knew I was gonna have to do it sometime, I just didn't expect it to be in this sort of situation." Turning t the guys I asked "Are you gonna stay and listen or do you want some time to think?" None of them moved, so, sitting back and leaning against Dimitri, I took a deep breath and began.

**Sorry it's so short guys, ****it has to be for the next chapter to work. xx**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy

Chapter 6:

'_Appreciate what you have because tomorrow it might be gone.' –Unknown._

'_You're gonna make mistakes, but it's what you do after those mistakes that matter' –Unknown._

It had been three weeks since Lissa had found out about me and Dimitri, and everything was going well. Training was still hectic, as we had a little over a week before graduation, but since Lissa and the others knew, I'd found it much easier to deal with the limited time we could spend together. I was on my way back to my dorm before curfew when Lissa ran up to me, her face flushed and excitement humming through the bond.

"Hey Liss, what's up? I thought you were with Christian?"

"I was, but I just remembered, it's your birthday next week and you haven't got anything nice to wear! So I went to see Kirova, too ask if we could go shopping. She said that we could, but that since it's so close to graduation, it would have to be used as a training exercise too, which means you'll get to shop, but you'll still have to be on duty, just to give you some extra experience." I grinned at her, pleased that she's remembered and gone to so much trouble. "That would be awesome Liss, when are we going?"

"Tomorrow, so make sure you get a good night's sleep, we're leaving early!"

I laughed, watching her run off, and continued to my dorm room to pack and sleep.

'_Tomorrow is another day, another chance.' –Unknown._

Throwing my hand out blindly, I groped around feeling for the snooze button on my alarm, hoping to bag a few more minutes of sleep before I had to get ready to meet Lissa. However, I'd forgotten about Dimitri and his arms wrapped round my waist securing me to his chest as I tried to burrow back under the covers. "Oh no Roza, it's time for you to wake up. You've pressed snooze five times already and you're gonna be late." Saying this he released me from his arms, and gave me a gentle shove. "Come on, if you're late, Vasilisa will kill you, no matter how understanding she is of our situation." Groaning, I got out of bed, grabbing his hand and pulling him with me into the bathroom.

'_Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.'_

I looked at my watch. _Crap._ We'd been supposed to meet Lissa and the others by the cars half an hour ago, but a ten minute shower had stretched into twenty, then thirty, then forty minutes followed by another thirty back in my dorm room. Lissa was going to kill me, but at least I'd die a happy woman. Finished with tying up my laces, I grabbed my purse, stake and chokti, and ran with Dimitri to the cars where; Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Eddie, Alberta, Stan, Celeste, Yuri and a few guardians I didn't know were waiting.

As expected, Lissa was not happy. She yelled at me for the first 20 minutes of the car journey before deciding she was going to punish me further with the silent treatment. I was hilarious though, because she was raging at me in her head. On one hand, she knew how hard it was for me and Dimitri to be together, and she didn't want to take away the little time we had. On the other hand, yeah she was still pissed. To pass the time I rested my head on Dimitri's shoulder and thought back to the explanation.

*FLASHBACK*

Well you all know that Lissa and I left the academy for two years until we were found by Dimitri and the other guardians in Portland, where they caught us and brought us back to the academy. To enable me to remain here with Lissa, Dimitri was made my mentor and began giving me extra training sessions before and after school. Nothing happened between us; we got to know each other, and I started to develop a crush on him, but I knew that it was wrong so I didn't ever try to act on those feelings. Then we went on that shopping trip, and when talking to Dimitri, I again realised how alike we were, and that my feelings for him weren't going away, they were becoming stronger. Anyway, I still tried to ignore them, until the night Lissa was kidnapped."

When they heard this everyone in the room tensed automatically, and I looked at Lissa to see if she wanted me to stop. Instead she gave me a small smile, and I heard her say through the bond. "It's okay Rose, I know its something important so don't worry, just finish your story."

Smiling back at her I glanced up at Dimitri to see him doing exactly the same thing. He gave me a small smile too and nodded, showing he was fine with me telling them.

"Well, the reason I wasn't there in time that night, wasn't because Victor hadn't placed an attack spell on the necklace he'd given me, it was a lust spell. I didn't know what it was; all I knew was that I needed Dimitri. So I went to his room, and when he grabbed my arm to stop me, the spell affected him too. No, we didn't have sex. Dimitri took the necklace off, which meant the spell stopped, and as you know, we then went to get Lissa back.

A few days later, I saw Dimitri and he told me that it wasn't true. So I went to see Victor, who told me Dimitri was lying, and so I was confused and unsure of who was telling the truth. Natalie then came to break Victor out of prison and would have killed me, if Dimitri hadn't arrived in time and staked her. When he took me to the infirmary, I again asked him, and he told me he'd lied, but since we were both going to be Lissa's guardians, if he loved me, he'd protect me over Lissa, and we couldn't let that happen. I felt guilt flash trough the bond.

After that we tried to keep things as they should be, and ignore our feelings for each other, but it was getting harder to do so. Then we went to the ski lodge and Tasha offered Dimitri the chance to become her guardian."

"So that's why you started acting so strangely towards Aunt Tasha while we were there. It all makes sense now." Christian looked sympathetic.

"Yeah, I was hurt, upset and irrational. Dimitri was supposed to stay – for Lissa and for me, and it made me feel betrayed. However, I knew Tasha could give him what I couldn't, and I couldn't let what I wanted hold him back." At this point Dimitri began to speak.

"I didn't consider Tasha's offer because of what it would give me, but because of the stability it would offer Rose. If I'd left, it would have given her the chance to finish her training and graduate without the risk of us being caught and it would allow her to guard the princess without any doubts. It would also give her the chance to have children, something I can't give, and I didn't want to take that chance away from her – I still don't. But after Spookane, I realised that I couldn't leave. No matter how many reasons there were that said I should have gone, I couldn't. Rose had supported me through everything – even in taking Tasha's offer, and it was my turn to support her.

I took over again with telling the story.

"Then, you know about my mood swings. We know now that it was the side effects of Spirit, but at the time I simply thought I was going crazy. After Jesse hurt Lissa, and I attacked him, Dimitri took me and calmed me down, and once that had happened. I told him what had been happening, and we figured it out." I wasn't going to tell them what else had happened in the cabin, so I skipped ahead. "We went to tell Alberta and to record my statement, and carried on like normal. Until today."

By the time I'd finished speaking they all looked overwhelmed, but understanding.

Eddie grinned at me, "Well, it's a lot to take in Rose, but I'm pleased for you, you deserve to be happy." Standing, he gave me a quick hg before leaving. "See ya at dinner."

Adrian stood next. "Well Little Dhampir, I always knew it was a lost cause trying to win you over, but I can see from your aura how happy you are. I need to go and have lots of drink and cigarettes now, but I'll see you later."

"'Kay Adrian, thanks for understanding. I'll see you later." I stood and hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

Christian surprised me the most though. He hugged me smiling and shaking his head at Dimitri. "I can't believe I didn't realise it earlier, but I'm pleased for you guys. To be honest, I was surprised when Aunt Tasha told me Dimitri was considering her offer, especially as you guys seemed so close, but I really do hope it works out for you."

Lissa didn't speak. Instead she hugged me before walking over to Dimitri and hugging him. "Thank you for making Rose so happy. She's my best friend and that's all I wanted for her – to find someone who'd love her like she deserves." She gave me another hug and whispered "I'm so happy for you Rose. You really do make a perfect couple. We'll give you guys some time alone now, see you later." Before smiling once more at Dimitri and leaving with Christian.

*END FLASHBACK.*


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire academy, even though I wish I did.

Chapter 7:

'_On the one hand, shopping is dependable: You can do it alone, if you lose your heart to something that is wrong for you, you can return it; it's instant gratification and yet something you buy may well last for years.' -Judith Krantz_

'_If I like it, I'll buy it, pure impulse shopping.' - Kristin Kreuk_

Once we got in sight of the mall her irritation disappeared and excitement took its place – I could understand completely, the mall was _huge_. 5 stories tall, and bursting with shops. I couldn't wait to start; I really needed some new lip gloss. Which reminded me to whisper "Hey Comrade, do you prefer strawberry or cherry?" Confusion played across his features. "Why?" Pouting my lips at him I whispered "Because I need some new lip gloss, and since you seem to like kissing me so much, I thought you should have a vote." He chuckled back and murmured "Whichever one you choose, I'll enjoy kissing off later." Before I could respond with another flirty comment Lissa squealed excitedly. We were there.

5 hours later:

Lissa and I had shopped, and shopped, and shopped some more, until we were literally, ready to drop. We decided to get a bite to eat before we left, since we'd missed the academy's lunch time, and I'd also changed into some of the clothes Lissa had bullied me into getting. A pair of black fleece sweats with cycling shorts underneath, a pair of black and red high tops followed a non-sweat training top and a ginormous black hoodie that was so soft and caressed my skin, pure bliss.

Finishing up our food, we waited for the guardians to get assembled before picking up our shopping bags and heading towards the exit. Getting in the car, I found that I felt a bit queasy and my stomach was beginning to churn uncomfortably. I lent my head against Dimitri's shoulder, groaning slightly when it didn't make me feel better like his presence usually did. He looked down at me, concern causing a slight frown to appear across his forehead. "Are you ok Rose?"

I smiled weakly, "Yeah, I think I just ate too quickly and the drive isn't helping. I'll be fine." He nodded, but still checked me over once more before pulling out, yep, one of his old westerns. I giggled under my breath and rested my head against his shoulder again to try and fall asleep. Frowning I wiggled in my seat, I still couldn't get comfortable and the sickness wasn't passing. I wiggled again. Dimitri sighed and stopped reading, "Rose, stop fidgeting, relax and try to sleep." I rolled my eyes, "Well comrade, that's what I was trying to do. It's not my fault that your shoulder's rock hard is it?" He raised one eyebrow at me, damn. I still couldn't do it, even after all these months. "Well, I'm so sorry my shoulders aren't of a perfect standard, what would you like me to do to make them more acceptable?" I felt too ill to argue with him, so I simply lifted is arm, placed it round my waist and rested my head on his chest. I smiled lightly "Much better." The shocked silence made me open my eyes and look round in confusion. "What? Why is everyone staring at me like that?" Lissa spoke through the bond "Well, I think we're all just a bit shocked that you wrapped Dimitri's arm round your waist. Don't forget, none of the guardians know about your relationship." I snorted and said out loud "Well I'm tired and Dimitri's shoulder is too hard to sleep against. Wake me up when we get back to school." And I fell into a peaceful sleep.

_"La haine attire la haine!"__, "hatred breeds hatred." –La Haine._

Jerking awake, my stomach twisted sharply, and I felt nausea run through me. Pressing my hand to my mouth to stop myself from being sick inside the car I was vaguely aware of Dimitri and the other guardians asking what was wrong. I didn't know what, but I knew something was going to happen. Feeling the nausea building, shivers began run up and down my spine, and Dimitri wrapped his arms around me in an attempt to warm me up. I could hear Stan talking to the guardians in the other car through a walkie talkie, telling them what was happening and to stay close to us, as Alberta slowed the car and began to pull over to the side of the road.

I tried to speak, and was thankful that the sickness remained in my stomach. "Why are you pulling over? It would be better to continue on to the academy, I'm fine Alberta, really."

You aren't fine Rose; we'll pull over for a few minutes to make sure that you're really okay, and to let you get some fresh air. It'll help."

I didn't know why, but I knew that pulling over would lead to something very bad occurring, so I kept protesting. "No Alberta, really, I'll get checked out once we get back to the academy." The bad feeling was getting worse and I was starting to panic.

"Roza," Dimitri's cool hands cupped my face, and turned me to face him, "calm down, breathe. We'll only stop for a minute to make sure you're ok and then we'll be on our way. You have nothing to worry about." He gave me a small smile and stroked my cheek with his thumb before dropping his hands.

I chewed my lip. I couldn't remember when, but I'd felt this feeling before and it was frustrating. As soon as the car had pulled over I was out, wanting to be as quick as possible so we could leave again, but everyone else got out as the second car pulled up. My stomach twisted again. I didn't want Lissa out in the open, something was wrong. Straining to hear further than our little group I thought I heard a twig snap, ad froze, spinning to look in that direction. Dimitri had noticed my apprehension and came to stand with me. "What's wrong Roza? Did you hear something?" His body tensed as his eyes swept the trees that lined the motorway.

"I'm not sure. I thought I heard something, but I'm not sure. This place is just giving me a bad feeling, can we go now?" Looking into my eyes he could see how uneasy I was, and nodded calling to Alberta, "Rose is fine now, we should start to head back." But as the guardians and moroi turned back towards the cars I froze and span.

To look straight into a pair of red ringed eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 8:

'_Watch me while I stand here; Watch my feet, my stance, my body language. I'm not someone to be messed with, I'm a fox on a mission, you know you're challenging the best here. It's gonna be real hard, but I'm gonna be okay. As long as I try real hard, I'm always gonna find my way, I'ma find my way.  
I'ma stand up like a soldier, I'ma get them 'til it's over. I'll keep marching to the beat, 'til there's bruises on my feet, now I'm falling to my knees.  
'Cause I'm gonna take this all the way, it's now or never. I'll break what's in my way, I'ma stand up like a soldier, Tonight I'm gonna take over.' –We Dance On, N-Dubz._

'_Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.' -Anne Rice, __Interview with the Vampire._

Three things happened at once without me thinking. I threw a punch at the strigoi, let out an ear-piercing scream and jumped backwards, trying to put as much space between us as quickly as possible. The strigoi had snarled at me when I'd punched him, and I saw three more emerge from behind him. The guardians were shouting, and I guessed they were trying to get Lissa and the others back into the car whilst watching for anymore strigoi that might have been trying to sneak up unnoticed.

I kept backing up as the four strigoi fanned out around me, and distantly, I could hear Dimitri and the Lissa shouting my name, but I didn't turn, instead keeping my attention focused on the four monsters in front of me.

I bumped into someone, and glanced out of the corner of my eye, confused as to why the others weren't in the car yet, when my jaw dropped. We were surrounded.

The guardians were in a defensive circle around Lissa, Christian and Adrian. But that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the forty or so strigoi that had formed a circle around us, effectively cutting us off from the car and any other escape routes. Still, I readied my stake and moved into a defensive stance, ready for the first attack.

Half of the strigoi charged, obviously hoping to catch us off guard and overpower us, but I didn't have time to think. Minutes passed, and all I could do was; block, attack, kick, punch and stake anything undead that came into my path – Moroi lives were at stake.

Then, as I thought we'd begun to gain the upper hand, the second group attacked. I saw Yuri and Celeste fall, but I couldn't help. Alberta was holding her own, but Stan was flagging, and so was Eddie. The strigoi seemed to notice this, and more swarmed over to seclude them, leaving an opening to the car. Taking my chance, I stopped fighting and ran, grabbing Lissa, Christian and Adrian and pulling them to the car. A couple of guardians had seen and covered us, so I could get the Moroi to safety before they staked their strigoi and jumped in as well.

I climbed back out. "Rose!" Lissa screamed reaching for me.

"No Liss. You need to get out of here. I need to stay here and help hold them off; it'll give you a better chance." Eddie passed in front of me, still fighting and I stepped into his place, pushing him towards the car. Once the strigoi was staked I turned and slammed the car door, yelling at the guardian to go, before turning back to the fight, still hearing Lissa's screams in my head.

The pace had slowed drastically. There were only ten strigoi, but Dimitri was the only person I could see left. So again, I joined the fight, trying to get to him. More minutes passed, before I finally reached his side, and we automatically stood back to back. Time passed, but none of the remaining strigoi had been staked. They were much more methodical, and very careful about blocking their hearts. Four of them charged me, which was when I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I ducked, to avoid a punch, forgetting that Dimitri was behind me. The strigoi's fist connected sharply with the back of Dimitri's head, and he crumpled to the ground. I cried out, and tried to protect him as well, but there were too many of them. Trying to fight four of them was tricky, but ten? Still, I kept trying, before finally receiving a blow to the stomach that left me breathless, which was followed by a hit to the head, and the encroaching darkness overwhelmed me.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, or any of its characters.

A huge shout out to: **Lola 'Tribal Tribal' Phillips** for the inspiration to keep going with this story. To **Amelia Harris** the best little sister ever and inspiring me everyday. To **Hannah Webbe** my awesome capture the flag partner, for showing the interest I needed to finish this chapter. And to my **mum**, for listening to my constant babble about my story and never once telling me to shut up. I love you all! Xx

Character 9:

'_No man knows when his hour will come; as fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly on them.' – The Holy Bible._

'_Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.' –Friedrich Nietzsche, __Beyond Good and Evil._

I opened my eyes to see darkness and strange shapes moving. Groaning, I shut them again, praying I was simply hallucinating, not seeing the ghosts again.

"Roza?"

My eyes flew open, and I struggled to sit up, wanting to make sure, to se that Dimitri was really here. Strong arms supported me, while his eyes searched my face, checking my injuries worriedly, just as I was doing to him.

Taking in my surroundings, I could see we were in a large basement, or storage room. The floor was felt like asphalt, and while there were windows, they were pane-less and had thick metal bars covering them on the outside. There was a door, but it was made out of metal that appeared to be both thick and strong. Looking round, I saw Alberta, Stan, Yuri and Celeste sitting in a disjointed circle, looking bruised and weary.

Memories of the night flashed through my mind, and I checked through the bond, anxious to be certain that Lissa and the others ad gotten back to the academy safely. They were in Kirova's office. Lissa was crying, while the guardians explained. She was scared that I was dead, and angry that nothing was being done to try and find us. I pulled back into my head and looked around at the guardians asking "So what do we do now?"

Everyone shifted uncomfortably, which meant it was a conversation they'd had while I'd been knocked out, and they knew that I wasn't gonna like the answer. Finally, Alberta spoke, "Well Rose, there's not much we can do. We're trapped, injured and weaponless. Our only hope is that the other guardians find us somehow." Looking round at them sitting there so hopelessly made my temper flare.

'_The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' –Edmund Burke._

"So what? We're just going to sit here until the strigoi come back for us? Then what? Because you know Alberta, if we don't get out, only two things will happen – we either become dinner, or one of _them_."

At that point, I felt the nausea begin to rise in me again, and I looked round in confusion. It continued to get stronger, and a moment later as it peaked, three pairs of red eyes stared at us through the door hungrily. I gasped, realizing what it was - the nausea reminded me of the headaches, which alerted me to the ghost's presence. It must be the same sort of principle with the strigoi, when they get near, I begin to feel sick.

Several locks sounded and a heavy deadbolt was pulled back, allowing the strigoi to swing the door open and enter, smiling cruelly. The male standing in front seemed to be I charge and from the way he was surveying us, I felt like a piece of meat.

His gaze dropped on me, and his smile grew wider. "That one. Such a pretty young thing, but I bet she's got plenty of fight in her."

Fear grew in me and bile rose up my throat as my earlier words to Alberta came true. Beside me Dimitri stiffened, and I knew that he would fight to the death before allowing them to take me.

The strigoi seemed to realize this, and it appeared to encourage him. "Now my dear, this can be easy or hard for you. You can come with me willingly, and I promise you might even get to see your, co-workers, again, or you can make this difficult, and I'll ensure that you'll beg for me to kill you. Now which do you choose?"

Of course, in true Rose fashion, I told him exactly what he could do with his offer, very colourfully, but it didn't seem to faze him.

Instead he laughed, but it sounded wrong, cold, and sent chills down my spine. Then just as suddenly, his laughter stopped and his eyes were fixed on me. "Get her for me, now."

The two strigoi he'd brought with him leapt forward, arms outstretched to grab me, where I'd backed up against the wall, but they hadn't anticipated Dimitri. His fist knocked one of them off balance and he tackled the other to the ground where they began fighting and wresting. It was hopeless, since he had nothing to stake the strigoi with, but he kept fighting anyway.

Meanwhile the second one had advanced on me, and was trying to find an opening in my defensive position. We began to fight, me blocking and him attacking until I had the urge to look at Dimitri. He was on his back, straddled by his strigoi, unable to move but still straining against its hold. And the strigoi had his head between its hands, ready to snap his neck.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters.

A huge thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed my story so far :) This chap is for ri-nocemoose-hope you like it :) Denicia xx

Chapter 10:

'_Apathy and evil. The two work hand in hand. They are the same, really… Evil wills it. Apathy allows it. Evil hates the innocent and the defenseless most of all. Apathy doesn't care as long as it's not personally inconvenienced.' –Jake Thoene, Shaiton's Fire._

I froze, and my mind flashed back to Spookane seeing Dimitri in exactly the same situation as Mason was. Except, this time, I could stop it from happening. So I looked at the leader, whose gaze was trained on me and told him "I'll go. Just don't kill him, let him go. Please."

Smiling, he snapped his fingers, and Dimitri's strigoi jumped off him, moving to grab stand next to him, along with mine who had grabbed me tightly by the arm. But my eyes were fixed on Dimitri's begging him to understand. I saw it flash across his face, but as I was dragged off, all I could see was the pain and guilt in his eyes, as he ran to the door, trying to get to me before I was taken.

'_The small man thinks that small acts of kindness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of wickedness do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt is so great that it cannot be pardoned.' –Confucius, The Wisdom of Confucius._

I was taken to a room that was at the opposite end of the corridor. The two 'assistants' left, and the leader locked the door behind them. Immediately, I backed as far away as I could get and scanned the room for any possible ways to escape.

The strigoi merely watched and laughed when I'd finished, pointing to the door and stating "The only way to leave is through that door, and to do so, you'd need to get through me and the 5 strigoi standing guard outside, not to mention the others inside of the house."

An idea flashed in my mind. If I could ask enough questions, I might be able to get him to slip up and tell me something that could be used as an advantage. It was a slim shot, but I had to take it.

There was no furniture in the room, except for an old camp bed shoved in the corner of the room, and no decorations. "Sooo…"

"Yes? His gaze was inquisitive and he took a few steps forward.

"I was simply wondering why you targeted our car."

He smiled, taking another few steps forwards until he was in arms reach. "We actually wanted the Dragomir Princess; after all, it would be amazing to finish off the Dragomir line. And it wouldn't have been too bad to catch the Ivashkov boy; he would have made a great bargaining chip."

I was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable, as he'd reached out and was stroking my hair, but I had no more room to back up. Hoping to lose his interest I asked another question "So where exactly are you holding us and why?"

He chuckled sharply, before leaning in closely to me and stroking my neck. "Well, you know that I can't tell you where you are – I wasn't born yesterday. But, since you smell so good, and your heartbeat is simply mouthwatering, I'll tell you that you're in a very, very, very big house about three hours from where we caught you. And the reason that we're holding you still is that, the others don't need to feed from your friends yet, and I want to have a little fun before I finish up with you." He grinned again which only made my heart thump in terror. I understood exactly what he meant by 'fun' and I knew that there was no way in hell it was going to happen.

Which is why I drew my fist back and punched him, before aiming a kick at his chest. Unfortunately, he recovered from the punch too quickly and caught my leg, using my momentum to throw me into the wall. His face had changed from patronising to enraged in a matter of seconds, and his attack was too fast for me to keep up.

Feebly, I tried to block his hits, but they were unending. As soon as I covered my face, he'd kick me in the ribs and my stomach, if I curled into a ball, it was my back. I didn't know how long the beating lasted before I felt him wrench me up by my hair and smirk before sinking his fangs into my neck.

The euphoria of the bite did little to ease the pain in my body, and if anything, made it worse. When he'd finished, he continued to drag me down the hall, still by my hair before throwing the door open and barking at the guardians to stay where they were. Lowering his mouth to my ear he whispered "Let that be a lesson to you. Don't ever say no to me, _ever_ again." I let out a small whimper as he added "I'll see you in a few days." Before dropping me in a heap and leaving, locking the door behind him.

I could see the pain etched onto Dimitri's face as he gently gathered me into him arms, becoming even deeper when I let out a small moan at the pain the movement caused. Apologising to me over and over again, I could feel him wrapping me up in his coat and trying to clean the cuts on my face with his top. The last thing I remembered before I was taken over by unconsciousness was the sensation of being rocked and held safely in his arms, while his tears dripped down onto my face.

**I just couldn't kill Dimitri off - so I'm very sorry to anyone who might have wanted that as an ending! Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think, Denicia xx**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

This chapter is dedicated to CaRiNeSs who guessed correctly what would happen in her review. Well done! xx

Chapter 11:

'_Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare.' -H.F. Hedge_

'_Dreams are excursions into the limbo of things, a semi-deliverance from the human prison.' -Henri Amiel_

I was in the academy gardens. The sun was out and there was a feeling of tranquility yet I was clothed in a floor length, blood red dress with a deep neckline, which cinched at my waist before flowing out gently to brush the grass. There was only one person who could imagine this sort of scene – Adrian. And, a minute later, he stepped out from the trees, a frown on his normally carefree face.

When he saw me relief flooded his features and he gathered me up into a bone crushing hug. I hugged him as well, taken aback by how much I had missed him. Finally, we broke apart. "Little Dhampir! Where are you? What happened? Are you okay? I've missed you, and Lissa's worried sick? Have you-" I cut him off before he became hysterical.

"Adrian, calm down! I'm not sure where we're being kept; only that it's a large house, probably a mansion, that's three hours from where we were ambushed. Whether it's three hours on foot or by car- I don't know. We're all alive, but the guardians are injured and weaponless, and as I've just been beaten into a bleeding mess, I'm pretty much useless."

Tears started to leak from my eyes as I remembered what the strigoi had said to me. 'the others don't need to feed from your friends yet, and I want to have a little fun before I finish up with you.' And my breath hitched as I told him "they're going to kill us Adrian. You need to tell Kirova not to come for us, and that Lissa is the one they want so she needs to be protected. Keep her safe for me Adrian, please."

He hugged me fiercely and kissed my forehead. "I'll keep her safe until you escape Rose. Don't give up yet – we'll find you, I promise." As he finished speaking the academy began to fade and I clung to him, not wanting to go back to the reality of being trapped and beaten. He gave me a small smile and another hug before saying, "You're waking up Little Dhampir. But try not to worry. I'll be here as soon as you fall asleep again, and I'll pass the information on to the guardians. Keep fighting." as the dream ended.

'_The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.' -Monica Baldwin._

When I opened my eyes I found I was cradled against Dimitri's chest. He was asleep, but tense, his arms holding me protectively which caused me to smile, simply enjoying the feeling of security. As if we were bonded, he woke shortly after I did, he eyes looking directly into mine. A small smile formed on his lips when he saw me awake, but it didn't alleviate the guilt in his eyes as he took in what was probably my very battered face. Reaching up to stroke his cheek and reassure him, I winced when the pain in my ribs intensified, and he flinched, seeing the pain in my face.

"It's okay." I whispered to him. "It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself." I traced the outline of his lips, and he kissed my fingers before replying.

"I can't help it Roza, I should have done more, should have protected you better, I should-" His voice cracked, and I placed my fingers over his mouth to stop him.

"No. Listen to me Dimitri. It is _not_ your fault. I made the choice. I got my but kicked." I pulled his face down until we were eye level. "You are _not_ responsible, or in any way to be blamed for what happened. Please, believe me." He nodded and sighed, but the guilt stayed in his eyes. As our gazes held and intensified someone cleared their throat.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

Well done to Destinee-Rose-Belikov for guessing correctly who cleared their throat :) you guys are getting good at this lol xx

Also a huge thank you to my amazing beta reader lilmissryry - thank you, thank you, thank you!

I want to say a quick thank you to all that have either; read, reviewed, added my story to their faves/alerts or added me to their faves/alerts; **gracefish21**, **Ri-nocemoose**, **Destinee-Rose-Belikov**, **shyshy1016**, **jeaniemaea**, **snowgoose**, **MaggieChauvin**, **rivereq**, **LittleDhampir123**, **CaRiNeSs**, **IloveCeci**, **Hanane**, **Zonexi**, **Katherine-Rose-Rulz, Readheadtress**, , **DimkasRoza,** **lovedimitri**, **readsalot,** **soccaplayer**, **Tiwilightfan023**, **RosemarieBelikov**, **VampireEva**, **1234Rose,** **missa27, **and** rhegan.**

Chapter 12:

'_To speak your mind takes courage, to hold your tongue takes a different kind of courage. Wisdom is knowing when to do either, strength is seeing it through.' –Unknown._

'_How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught by desire.' –Belva Plain._

Both of our heads whipped to the side at the sound to find Alberta and Stan watching us, a mixture of confusion, suspicion and amusement on their faces.

"Well Rose, you have exactly two minutes to explain why you are sitting on your mentors lap while stroking his face. And you, Guardian Belikov, have 2 minutes to explain why you were allowing her to do it."

Both Dimitri and I had frozen when Alberta had coughed, and now he rested his head against my back, cursing under his breath in Russian, while I gaped at Alberta.

"I'm waiting Miss Hathaway."

_Oh crap_. The amusement was gone and her tone of voice had become deadly serious; I wouldn't be able to lie my way out of this one.

"I, er… well." Alberta's face looked like stone and it was making me nervous. I had no idea how to tell her. How could I explain in a way that would make her understand? Oh God, this was going to be terrible, I was gonna be expelled. Dimitri would be fired and Lissa would be unprotected… my mind was whirling and I started to shake.

"Look Rose, clam down." She sounded weary now, and concerned. "Just explain it to me, ok? I won't judge you or yell, or anything like that but I have to know."

By this point Celeste and Yuri had woken up, but I didn't focus on them. Instead I took a deep breath, looked Alberta in the eye and told her "I love him."

To say that the guardians were shocked would be an understatement. A few of their jaws dropped open, and even Stan, who always had a comment for something I did, was speechless. Finally Alberta spluttered "What?" Before staring at me in shock again.

Hearing this Dimitri lifted his head. "Alberta, please don't punish Rose. I'll take the punishment, but please, don't take away her future too."

There were a few more minutes of silence as she composed herself and, I guess, thought through everything she'd seen and heard. "Okay, before we come to any kind of disciplinary actions, I want you to tell me everything."

So we did. We told her about; first arriving at the academy, the lust spell, Spookane, the night of the attack minus the cabin, and everything that had happened afterwards while she and the others listened in silence. When we finished talking, no one said anything for a long time. I began to bite my lip anxiously and the feel of Dimitri's arms tightening round my waist, was the only indicator of his nervousness.

At last, Alberta focused back on us and began to speak. "I've known you for long enough now Rose, to be able to tell when you're lying and when you're telling the truth. And it appears to me, that you've both just told me the truth. I must admit, I'm shocked that you both share such strong feelings, but I had noticed a change in your personalities, especially in you Rose, and I had hoped that it was due to Dimitri's influence. However, regardless of my acceptance, there's still the fact that Dimitri is your mentor, and was in a position of trust, which has been jeopardized. So, this is what will happen, and I expect neither you two, no any of the present guardians to go against my decision."

Everyone in the room nodded, their gazes fixed on Alberta. "This will _not_ be spoken of amongst the other guardians, if we manage to escape and get back to the Academy. They will only be informed if either myself, Rose or Dimitri, think it appropriate _and_ necessary. Your training sessions are to be strictly professional, there is only a week left, but we can't afford for a member of the student body to find out and cause a scandal so close to your graduation. I also suggest that when you move to court, you keep your relationship as low profile as possible for the first few months, to avoid speculation about your mentoring role before she had graduated. This is what _will_ happen. Do you all understand?"

Again, everyone nodded before gawking at me and Dimitri.

Sighing, I leant back against Dimitri's chest, worn out from the adrenaline that had been flooding through my system. His arms snaked around my waist, and I felt his lips at my ear as he whispered "Do you need more sleep?"

I snuggled up to him a bit more before replying "No, my body just aches from earlier. Plus, I was so nervous about what Alberta said that I'm all worn out. I was thinking of everything I'd ever said or done in my life that was a heck of a lot stupider than this, yet I was practically hyperventilating at what she was gonna say."

He laughed with me before moving me so that I was cradled in his lap, covered by his duster to keep me warm. "But you do need to sleep. You've been through much more than the rest of us these past two days and your body needs time to heal." I looked up at him and smiled, before feeling like I was being watched.

Confused, I turned to see the four guardians sitting there, blatantly gawking at our little exchange. Sarcastically I commented on their behaviour "Did you want some popcorn to go with the show?"

Stan looked embarrassed, while Yuri and Celeste had suddenly found the patch of wall that was opposite them very interesting. Alberta and Dimitri laughed though, and again I felt his lips at my ear, except this time he was gently murmuring to me in Russian and sent me to sleep.

**Don't worry, things start getting a lot more interesting from now on :) xx**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 13:

_"Pain is your friend; it is your ally. Pain reminds you to finish the job and get the hell home. Pain tells you when you have been seriously wounded. And you know what the best thing about pain is? It tells you you're not dead yet!"_

I woke up to hear Dimitri whispering in my ear to wake up but be very quiet. Confused, I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, silently asking what was going on.

Again he put his lips to my ear but this time whispered "We are going to try to escape. Earlier, Celeste was escorted to the bathroom, which she said was on the 3d floor of the house. She saw that there weren't very many strigoi in the house as it was daytime, so they must have another place where they can stay. It's only the doors to these rooms that are made of metal, so we think that if we are taken to the toilet again, depending on how many strigoi there are, we should be able to overpower them and make a run for the doors. It's been three days since we were caught, and Alberta doesn't think they're going to wait much longer before they come to kill us. We have to make our escape as soon as possible."

Nodding, I sat up to assess my injuries and how much of a liability I would be to their chances of success. My head wasn't as sore as before, but my ribs were still tender to the touch. My arms and legs were covered in bruises and cuts, but other than my ribs, there was nothing majorly wrong with me.

Dimitri handed me something. When I looked at it I saw that it was a squashed orange and what appeared to be a very broken granola bar. "They brought us a little food; they don't want us to die before they get what they want." His face showed disgust ad loathing.

Looking back at him I asked "Have the others eaten?"

"Yes, we split it as equally as possible; I just didn't want to wake you – you needed the sleep." Looking closer at his face, I could see that his skin was paler than it should have been, especially if he'd just had something to eat. Peeling the orange, I held out half towards him with a stubborn look on my face. He looked back at me just as stubbornly. "Comrade, you need to eat too. You can't suffer and let me become fat and lazy."

A ghost of a smile passed over his lips, and sighing, he took half of the orange from me. Smiling, I then gave him half of the granola bar, scowling when he tried to push it back into my hands and grinning when he gave up fighting against me.

A few hours later, the guardians began to shout, bang and kick the door in an effort to get the strigoi to come down to 'take Alberta to the toilet'. Half an hour later two of the strigoi finally came to our door. They were growling, apparently not pleased that we hadn't sat there silently like before, and walked off once they found out what we wanted. But after another half hour of more banging and shouting they finally came back. Our chance had arrived.

'_You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.' –Michelle Obama._

We al charged the strigoi as soon as the door opened. They weren't expecting the attack and so their response was slow, which gave us the time to drag them into the room and slam the door shut. We had no keys to lock the door with, but pulled the three deadbolts shut in the hopes that it would delay their escape for a few minutes more.

Sprinting along the corridor, Celeste was leading and Dimitri was in the back, making sure no one could sneak up on us. Following Celeste's orders we ran up two flights of stairs and down another corridor towards the double doors at the end. I could hear Alberta questioning if this was the right way and Celeste's certainty that she'd seen the sunlight under the door, so we kept going.

Bursting through the door we expected to see bright sunlight and perhaps another door with strigoi standing guard. What we weren't prepared for was to run into a small room where a young woman was pinned to the wall by a mean-looking strigoi, while a little boy pummeled at his legs, crying for her to be let go.

The smart thing would have been to turn around and find another way out, butt we were all frozen. All the guardians were glaring at the strigoi, waiting for him to let go of the woman, we could now see that she was a human, so they could attack without fear of her getting hurt. But my gaze was locked on the little boy. He looked like he was around two years old, skinny from poor nutrition, with chestnut brown hair and deep brown eyes. Eyes which were tear-filled and trained on my face; pleading silently with me to help his mother. The sound of her choking was what stopped me from gazing at the child. She was pleading to the strigoi "Please, I'm sorry master, it was an accident. Just don't hurt my son. I promise I won't do it again."

The guardians had been edging towards the strigoi when he smiled cruelly. "I know you won't do it again Eliza, my dear. Because, as you know, I don't give second chances." Her face paled and she looked straight at me. "Please, take care of him." She looked at her son and said something to him which sounded familiar to my ears, and he shook his head in reply. But before I could, ask what she meant, the strigoi snapped her neck.

**Sorry if the neck snapping seems repetitive, but I really didn't want her death to be painful, she just seems so sweet to me!**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy or any of its characters. I only own the Rowan the little sweetheart.

I just realized that Eliza died in the 13th chapter. I guess 13 really is unlucky…

Chapter 14:

'_Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.' -Marion C. Garretty, __A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul._

When the strigoi snapped Eliza's neck the little boys face crumpled, and he began to sob uncontrollably. Acting without thoughts I pushed past Celeste and Alberta to scoop him up into my arms, forgetting about the pain in my ribs and the threat that was stood smirking in front of me.

We'd all been so focused on what had been happening in the room, none of us had been keeping guard. There were now twenty strigoi stood behind us, and the one who had beaten me was stood in the front with an amused expression on his face.

Sighing, the guardians put up their hands in surrender and his smile grew. "I'm very pleased to see that you've learnt from your past experiences and aren't going to cause anymore trouble." Snapping his fingers seven strigoi stepped forwards. "Please escort our 'guests' back to their room. In fact, since they've been so good, move them into the _luxury_ accommodations."

We were taken even further down in the foundations of the house, where there was mould everywhere, and the sound of dripping water. We were in what could best be described as a cave. It was twice as large as our previous room, which meant that it was much colder. None of us said anything; I guess the others were taking time to compose themselves. We had been expecting to fight before we escaped, but not the brutality that had occurred in that little room.

I simply sat in the corner, still holding the little boy, who had fallen asleep. Dimitri sat next to me, his presence was soothing and I felt the tears well up in my eyes and spill over. Tears for the thought that we probably wouldn't get another chance to escape and would die in this grotty basement. Tears for Mason. For the fact that Dimitri had almost ended up like him. For poor Eliza who _had_ ended up with the same fate as Mason did. For the child in my arms who now had no mother.

Dimitri saw my tears and took me into his arms, careful not to jostle the little boy, and I cried silently into his chest. No words were needed, him simply holding me gave me the strength I needed.

I kissed him gently on the lips and he smiled at me sadly, understanding saddening his eyes.

I was about to ask what he thought we should do now, when a shadow at the edge of my vision caught my attention. Turning to make sure I wasn't imagining it, I stiffened in shock.

In front of me was Eliza, or rather, her ghost was there, looking at me holding her son with such a pained expression that more tears dripped down my cheeks.

Clearing my throat, I asked her "What did you mean?"

Dimitri looked startled, but after glancing at my face, he seemed to realize that I was seeing something he couldn't. My eyes focused back on the ghost in front of me. Se was saying something, but I couldn't hear her. Frowning I shook my head and told her.

Her eyes seemed to get even sadder and I saw her speak again. This time I strained my hearing as much as I could, and her voice came through, as quiet as the wind. "I want you to look after my son, Rowan. Please, he deserves a better life than the one I gave him, and something says to me that you're the person who can give him that life." She started to fade. "Please, look after him for me. Let him know I loved him with all my heart, and that I'm so, so sorry. You're his mother now." She disappeared before I had the chance to speak.

"Rose?" Dimitri called my name softly, "What did you see?"

I looked him in the eye, wanting to be as open as possible. My decision was going to affect us both, and I wanted him to be able to make a choice without feeling responsible. "I saw Rowans mother." He looked confused so I nodded my head at Rowan, who was still asleep in my arms before continuing "I'm his mother now."

**The next chapter will be up tomorrow but then updates are gonna be a bit slow over the next week. There's only 5 more chapters after tomorrows chap; which need to be checked through, and I still haven't figured out how to write the last one - I'm suffering a bit of writer's block :'( I'm very sorry, and will update asap. Thanks foor being so patient :) Denicia xx**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy or its characters, only Rowan!

**As I said yesterday, this will be my last update for a few days, I'll try and update sooner if possible, but I'm sorry for the wait! Thanks to everyone that's read this story from the beginning, and all my new readers who I haven't thanked yet.**

**Hope you like it! Denicia xx**

Chapter 15:

'_No matter if you're having the worst day, your child can brighten it up by saying "You're so pretty, I love you mummy."' –Unknown._

Five pairs of eyes stared at me in shock.

"What?" I was beginning to feel self-conscious.

Stan spoke up. "Well Rose it could have something to do with the fact that we're trapped, we have no way of knowing how or if we're going to escape and you've just decided that you're going to take responsibility for the life of a _human_ child you don't know, whilst you're still a child yourself."

Alberta and the others were nodding in agreement, and as I opened my mouth to tell Stan exactly what I thought of his sarcastic comment Dimitri spoke. "Actually _Guardian Alto_, firstly, I think that Rose is doing what she always does, putting the needs of others before her own. After all, isn't that what being a guardian is about? You haven't stopped to ask who or what she just saw and you seem to have forgotten what his mother said to Rose before she was killed. '_Please, take care of him.'_ And secondly, as Rose's boyfriend, I do _not_ appreciate the tone in which you are speaking to her. She's more than capable of looking after Rowan, and she won't have to do it alone. She's done far more in the past three years than you have in the last thirty, and so you should treat her with the respect she deserves."

Yuri, Celeste and Alberta looked stunned at Dimitri's outburst, and I had to admit, I was a little surprised too. He must have seen the question on my face because he replied "I told you Rose. If you have children and if you choose to stay with me, I'll raise them as if they were my own. That goes for Rowan too." He smiled and I smiled back before kissing him gently again.

I felt a movement in my arms, and looked down to see Rowan begin to wake up. Before he opened his eyes he mumbled "Mama?" and something else I didn't understand. It triggered my memory and I remembered my thoughts from when his mother had spoken to him.

Looking at Dimitri, I asked "Was that Russian?"

He seemed just as surprised as I was. "Yes, and earlier on, his mother spoke to him in Russian as well."

I nodded, pleased that I'd worked it out, but worried that maybe, he didn't speak English. Then how would I be able to reassure him and look after him properly. Instead of voicing my fears tough, I asked Dimitri what Rowans mother had said, but the person who answered surprised me.

My eyes flew down to Rowans face, startled, as he answered my question. "My mummy told me that the pretty lady was gonna be my new mummy because she couldn't look after me for a long while, and that she loved me and to be a good boy." He scrubbed at his eyes before blinking at me. "So does that mean that you'll be my mummy? Because you're pretty and you look like a mum."

I didn't know what it was, but something about those words made my heart swell. Smiling down at him I asked in reply, "Would you like for me to be your mummy?"

He gave me a smile and whispered "Yes… but I miss my old mummy." And his face crumpled again as he began to cry. My heart broke when he started to cry again. I gently shifted him in my arms, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck and began to sob. I gently rubbed small circles on his back, and hummed a lullaby I remembered Lissa's mum singing, to try and comfort him.

'_Lullaby and goodnight,  
with roses bedight,  
With lilies bedecked is baby's wee bed;  
Lay thee down now and rest,  
may thy slumber be blest,  
Lay thee down now and rest,  
may thy slumber be blest._

Lullaby and goodnight,  
thy Mother's delight,  
Bright angels around  
my darling shall stand;  
They will guard thee from harms,  
thou shalt wake in my arms,  
They will guard thee from harms,  
thou shalt wake in my arms.'

His sobs were slowing and I could feel his little body begin to sag in my arms. His arms were wound around my neck, and I felt him wrapping my hair around his hands. I pressed a kiss to his cheek before continuing with another one.

'_Sleep, baby, sleep  
Your father tends the sheep  
Your mother shakes the dreamland tree  
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee  
Sleep, baby, sleep  
Sleep, baby, sleep_

Sleep, baby, sleep  
Our cottage vale is deep  
The little lamb is on the green  
With snowy fleece so soft and clean  
Sleep, baby, sleep  
Sleep, baby, sleep'

When I had finished, Rowan had a small smile on is face, and his eyelids were beginning to droop. I settled him in my arms so that he could sleep more comfortably, before dropping a kiss onto his forehead, and smiling gently when he murmured "I love you mummy."

**Hope you all liked it, and again, I'm very sorry that there's going to be a while between updates :'( xx**


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry it's been a few days, but here is chapter 16!

Thank you very much to CrazyRunner for your huge review! I'm really pleased you like the story and thank you v. much for all of your compliments. I'm glad you like the quotes too, I hope a few of them might even make it onto your wall! : ) don't worry, I'm not quitting this story, but it is gonna end soon :'(

Also a MASSIVE thank you to my beta reader lilmissryry. She worked her socks off to make these chapters as good as possible for you guys, so maybe you can say thank you by readin her stories ;) xx

Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 16:

'_It's about a society in freefall. Heard about the guy who fell of a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor he kept saying to reassure himself; So far so good… So far so good…So far so good. Jusqu'ici tout va bien. How you fall doesn't matter- its how you land!' –Hubert, La Haine._

We were kept in our 'luxury apartment' for three days straight. They obviously weren't all inclusive because there was no food service and no toilet facilities. For entertainment, we all shared our pasts and childhoods; which brought us closer together as a group. I felt more like an equal and a guardian, now that I knew about their experiences, and I think that Stan was shocked at what I'd gone through, especially when I'd left with Lissa. It was a learning experience for all of us.

The lack of food and bad hygiene was beginning to show on us guardians, but it was distressing to see it happen to Rowan. He was so small and skinny; he needed to eat more than any of us.

On the third morning (human time) our prayers were finally answered. We were normally checked on hourly, to ensure we couldn't escape, but this time, no strigoi came. Everyone started to tense up as the minutes passed, in the fear that maybe they weren't going to kill or awaken us, maybe they would leave us locked in here until we starved to death.

An hour later though we found out what had caused the delay. Shouts and the sounds of fighting echoed down the corridor as the realization hit us – we were being rescued!

Rowan had picked up on my excitement and began to ester me with questions. Eventually, fed up with the fact that I could only answer, "Yes." "No." or "I hope so." He became fed up and moved to sit in Dimitri's lap.

It was touching, seeing them together, and they really did look like a father and son. I hadn't realized how perceptive Rowan was; and he had noticed very quickly the way Dimitri and I acted towards each other. It made me smile, remembering the first time he had spoken to Dimitri.

*FLASHBACK*

'_Even when you think are having the worst day of your life, it could actually end up being your best. It is up to you how you choose to let it end.' –Unknown._

Rowan had been curled up in my arms, quiet while Dimitri and I had spoken quietly. I had thought he was asleep, so it surprised me when he moved into Dimitri's arms.

"Do you love my mummy?"

Dimitri caught my eye, startled at the question, before smiling at Rowan and answering "Yes I do. I love her very much."

Which must have been the reason Rowan then asked, "So does that make you my daddy?" He'd smiled before adding "I've never had a daddy before, but you look like a dad."

Dimitri chuckled "and what's a daddy supposed to look like?"

"Well, they're supposed to be tall and strong and love their children's mummies. You're really, really tall, and strong and you look after my mummy, and you love her-lots and lots. So you must be my daddy."

Rowans comment had given me and Dimitri the one thing we could only have dreamed of – a family.

*END FLASHBACK*

About an hour after we'd first heard them, the sounds of fighting stopped, and we could hear footsteps moving down the corridor towards our cell. The atmosphere in the room was thick with anticipation and nerves, and as the door opened I felt Dimitri tense, ready to fight if it was a strigoi.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 17:

'_As a little girl I used to daydream about my real father coming on a white horse to rescue me.' –Christine Keeler__._

In the doorway stood my mother, Emil, and a couple of the Academy guardians. "Get up! We have to move quickly. We've cleared the house, but some Strigoi may have escaped, and if they have, they'll return – soon."

Those words were all she needed to say to spur us into action. Rowan climbed onto my back and simply held on as tightly as he could while we sprinted down the long corridor and up several flights of stairs, following my mother to safety. Every hallway we ran down was littered with Strigoi bodies, and our group grew bigger as the extra guardians retreated with us. We didn't stop running till we reached the cars, and I was so thankful for all the laps Dimitri had made me run in the past.

Someone must have been smiling down on me in that moment, because when we all split to travel back in the cars I ended up with Dimitri, Stan, and Alberta, with my mother driving and Rowan on my lap.

The journey back to the Academy was comfortable and silent until my mother spoke. "Rosemarie." Uh oh, that was the first clue she was annoyed. "I am only going to ask you once, and I want the truth. Why have you brought a human child with you?"

I cringed into Dimitri's side at her tone, and he kissed the top of my head reassuringly – we both knew she wasn't going to like the answer. "It's because we're his parents now."

The car screeched to a stop as my mother stomped on the brakes to turn and shriek at me from the driver's seat. "What? Rose please tell me that you really meant to say 'I'm taking him to his parents'. And what did you mean by we? Who is this other person?"

I knew she wouldn't understand if I tried to explain, so instead we told her - everything that we'd told Alberta, Stan, Yuri and Celeste, as well as what had happened after we were taken. When we finished speaking, her lips were pressed into a tight line and she was clutching the steering wheel so hard, I half expected it to break in two.

"We'll talk about this back at the Academy. For now, I don't want to hear another word from you Rosemarie, or you, Guardian Belikov." Without another word, she pulled back out into the stream of traffic, and we continued home.

_'In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.' -Mahatma Gandhi_

When we arrived back at the Academy, we were automatically taken to the infirmary. My mother hadn't said anything to me for the rest of the journey, except to get checked out by Dr. Olendzki and then to come up to her room, along with Dimitri, Alberta and Rowan.

In the infirmary, I saw Lissa sitting in the waiting room, wringing her hands anxiously, and I handed Rowan to Dimitri so I could run and hug her. She'd collapsed, sobbing into my arms, and it had taken a good fifteen minutes before she'd been able to speak. She hugged me fiercely. "Rose! Oh, I was so frightened that you'd been killed, and then Adrian said he'd spoken to you in your dreams, but then he couldn't get in touch with you again! But I was so scared that you'd been hurt and I couldn't do anything to help, and all anyone would tell me was that they were looking, and I was just so worried. I'm so glad you're okay."

I stopped her before she could continue. "Yeah Liss, I'm fine, but I've got a lot to tell you." While I'd been speaking, Lissa had been looking at me more closely and seemed to realize I was injured. I felt her place her hands on my face, and the hot-then-cold sensation that let me know she was healing me surged through me. A little darkness welled up, but I knew that I had to take it from her, and with a few minutes concentration I was able to push it away.

When I opened my eyes, Lissa was watching me expectantly and I gave her a hug and a smile. "I'm okay now, Liss, thanks for healing me. But I really do need to tell you some stuff." I paused, unsure of how to explain Rowan, and was saved from having to introduce him because he had squirmed out of Dimitri's arms and ran over to me.

Her's and Christian's eyes had widened, and so I introduced them both. "Lissa, Christian, this is Rowan, my son. Rowan, this is your Aunty Lissa and Uncle Christian."

Two sets of questioning eyes were now focused on me, but I said, "Liss, I can feel that you're bursting with questions, but I need a shower, badly, and I have to go and see my mom. I'll find you later and explain everything, 'kay?"

They both nodded and I swung Rowan up onto my hip. Dimitri followed me from the infirmary until we reached the novice dorms. I glanced around to check that nobody was hanging around before stretching onto my tiptoes and pecking him on the lips. "I'll see you at my mom's in an hour, okay? I gotta get me and Rowan washed up, and get him something to eat."

"Okay, Roza, I'll get washed quickly and go over to the elementary campus – see if they have some clothes that will fit him and bring them up here." Kissing me gently on the lips once more kissing Rowan on the forehead, he jogged off to his room.

_'Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other.' -Samuel Johnson (Thanks, Frank Lynch)  
_  
To say that mom was angry would be a definite understatement. When we arrived in her room, I found that Alberta was already there, and so was Kirova. We had to re-explain all that we'd told my mom in the car, suffer through 20 minutes of questioning by my mother, and then a further 10 minutes of arguing over whether or not I would give up Rowan. I said no, she said yes.

Her reasoning was that I was 17, and much too young to even be thinking of having children, let alone starting an illicit affair with my mentor that would ruin my career before it had begun, added to the fact that I'd taken the responsibility of a child that wasn't even a dhampir.

My reasoning was that I only had three days till my 18th birthday and graduation, and it was none of her business to say who I could and couldn't love. Plus, I'd been asked to be Rowan's mother, and that's what I was going to do.

Finally, Kirova interrupted us. "Look, Janine, I understand how you feel about this, and Rose I can see your reasoning. Alberta has also told me what her decision was, and as she is head of the guardians at this school, I trust her judgment. Janine, I know that it's not what you want to hear, but I suggest that you think back to certain aspects of your own life before you judge Rose too harshly. You know Guardian Belikov's character, and you've seen how Rose has changed – for the better, I might add. I don't think this will seriously affect her future, and I think that as a couple they'll be able to work through this together. That is all I have to say on the matter. No further action will be taken – it's up to you and Rose to deal with your issues now." Turning to me, she continued, "Good luck Rose, and I hope I don't see you in my office for anything bad, otherwise I may have to rethink my choice. I'll see you at graduation." And she left with Alberta, leaving me, my mom, Rowan, and Dimitri.

Mom suddenly looked very tired and sighed. "Look, Rose, Guardian Belikov. It's not that I doubt your ability as parents, but I know what it's like to become a mother at such a young age. I know that you won't have to do it single-handedly, but it's still hard, especially since you aren't going to send him away to an Academy. But Rose, he's still a human child. He has no place in our society, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to train him, mom. After graduation, we're moving to Court and I'm going to enroll him in school there. Yes, he won't be as strong as his classmates, but that's not to say he can't learn. And when he's older, he can choose to stay at Court or go to a human boarding school or something else. I don't want to cut him off from other humans, but he's my son now, so our world is his world too."

She'd smiled slightly when I'd spoken, before standing and hugging me. "Well, you sound like you know what you're going to do, and you know I'll support you if you need it." Kneeling down, she smiled tentatively at Rowan, who hugged her straightaway. She stiffened in shock, but then relaxed and hugged him back.

"I'm glad you're not angry at my mummy anymore."

**I'm thinking of putting a lemon in the chapter 19. What do you amazing readers want? Do you want a lemon or would you prefer for me to use my previous way, and just imply what happens? (I'm going to post it on Friday about 4pm GMT) Majority rules so let me know! Thanks, Denicia xx**


	18. Chapter 18

Thank you very much to; **rivereq, IloveCeci, CaRiNeSs, snowgoose, snowdrop0594, shyshy1016, Destinee-Rose-Belikov, gracefish21, readsalot8, lovedimitri, CrazyRunner, Aiko no Kaze, sair-bear989, rhegan, DimitrixXxLover, tmonkey726, Millie79, Zonexi, LittleDhampir123, MaggieChauvin, jeaniemaea, Ri-nocemoose, , Katherine-Rose-Rulz, Readheadtress, DimkasRoza, soccaplayer71, Tiwilightfan023, RosemarieBelikov, VampireEva, 1234Rose and missa21**. All of your reviews comments and positve feedback have really encouraged me to finish this story; and helped me lots and lots. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy or any of its characters.

Chapter 18:

'_You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.  
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.  
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.'  
-Dr. Seuss._

It was finally graduation day. I'd woken even earlier than usual because of the butterflies in my stomach and nerves at the thought of messing up, or not being assigned to Lissa, or not being announced as a guardian at all because of my past - the numerous molnija marks on my neck wouldn't make a difference if I didn't have that promise mark next to them.

I was doing it again, stressing myself out and making the nerves even worse. Trying to push away my bad feelings, I made my way down to the cafeteria and our usual breakfast table to be greeted by a hyper Lissa and sarcastic Christian. Eddie looked the same as me, and it looked like Adrian hadn't arrived yet.

Sitting, I asked Lissa, "Where are Dimitri and Rowan?" At the same time, my little boy yelled across the dining room, "MUM! There you are! Me and dad have your breakfast and a big glass of water so that you don't faint from de-, de-, DAD! What did you say that word with the 'd' was, so that mum would be okay later?"

My eyes scanning the crowd, my gaze first fell on Dimitri, who was making a path through the people in the room. But his eyes were focused in front of him, and I laughed when I saw why. Rowan was walking in front of Dimitri, carrying a very large glass of water in both hands, his tongue stuck out to the side as he concentrated on bringing it to my table, taking small measured steps.

When he reached me, I took it out of his arms carefully before pulling him onto my lap and dotting his face with kisses. Giggling, he tried to squirm away, but I held onto him tighter, loving the sound of his giggles. Once he'd begged for Dimitri to save him, I gently let him go, and he scrambled onto Dimitri's lap wile pointing to my breakfast and ordering me to eat.

"Sir, yes sir!" I grinned and saluted him, and he giggled again. I smiled at Dimitri, remembering the breakfast after we'd been rescued.

*FLASHBACK*

It had been awkward upon our return as rumours were spreading around the Academy that Rowan was the reason Lissa and I had left the school, and that we hadn't been captured but had been trying to get him back. Others thought that he was Lissa's and that I was simply taking the blame. And others were so bizarre that even I couldn't understand them.

Walking into the dining room, there was silence for a couple of minutes as people looked over and registered that I'd entered, and that I had Rowan with me. Taking him over to the food counter, I swung him up onto my hip and grabbed us both plates, loading them with toast, some eggs, bacon, and some fruit. No doughnuts – I didn't want Rowan picking up my bad habits.

We'd walked over to our table where the others were already seated and began eating. That was when people's conversations began again and I could relax. Unfortunately, Dimitri came in. It wasn't bad that he'd entered the cafeteria so soon after we had, just bad timing in that I hadn't had the chance to explain to Rowan what he should call us when we were in public. Before I could stop him, he'd stood up on his chair and bellowed, "DAD! COME SIT WITH ME AND MUM!"

The whole cafeteria had frozen in shock, and was staring between me, Dimitri and Rowan. A couple of people had suspicious looks upon their face, and I knew they were thinking of more rumours they could spread, and if they could they would tie it in to our practice sessions. _Crap._ This was exactly what we'd wanted to avoid. And Dimitri wasn't helping the situation by heading in our direction with his food and a huge smile on his face.

When he sat down, I groaned, but he didn't react. Instead, he continued to eat his breakfast and chat with Rowan, waiting until people had once again returned to their conversations before talking to me.

"I know that was bad, Rose, and it was what we were trying to avoid, so we have to act like we did before. There is nothing going on between us, except for the fact that I'm your mentor. Most people think that I'm still going to be Vasilisa's guardian with you, so we can't give them any reason to think otherwise." Pulling Rowan to him, he looked him directly in the eye. "Rowan, you and I both know that I love your mummy, but we can't let everyone else know that, okay? That means you can call me dad, but you mustn't tell them why, unless your mummy or I say it's alright. Is that okay?"

He nodded. "I understand, dad. Am I in trouble?" His brown eyes were filling slowly with tears at the thought of being in trouble.

"No, you're not in trouble; I just don't want your mummy to get into trouble either."

Rowan nodded, but the tears still spilled over and ran down his cheeks. Gently, Dimitri brushed them away, and murmured to him softly in Russian. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but it was soothing, and after a little while Rowan stopped crying and sat in Dimitri's lap to eat his breakfast.

*END FLASHBACK*

I grinned again at the memory before continuing to eat my breakfast in silence, suddenly scared again at the thought of my trial.

Noticing my discomfort, Rowan climbed back into my lap and kissed me gently on the cheek. "Don't worry mummy, you'll be really good. You and dad are the bestest fighters."

I smiled down at him before checking my watch. "Thank you, sweetie, I feel much better now. I've got to go and get ready, but I'll see you in the stands, okay? Be good for Aunty Lissa, and me and daddy will see you after." Kissing him on his forehead and cheeks, I gave Lissa a quick hug before heading off with Eddie and Dimitri.

Eddie walked ahead of Dimitri and I to go and see his mentor before his trial, and so I took advantage of being alone with Dimitri to pull him into the trees where we couldn't be seen. Immediately, his arms moved around my waist, and I leaned against his chest, calmed by the smell of his aftershave and steady heartbeat.

We stood like that for a few minutes, just taking satisfaction from the short moment of privacy, before I tilted my face up to meet his. This kiss wasn't like the others we'd shared. It was still gentle, but held a lot more power, almost as if Dimitri was trying to share his strength with me. All too soon, it ended, but he pressed another gentle kiss to my mouth before whispering, "For good luck," and kissing me one final time. "You'll be fine, Roza. Just remember your basics, use your instincts, and know that we all believe you can do it. I'm so proud of you, and I know that you'll be proud of yourself. Use the courage I know you have, okay? Stay focused, and I'll see you in there. I love you."

"I love you too." Stretching up onto my tiptoes, I gave him one last kiss, before heading into the tent to take my test.

Graduation passed in a blur. Time seemed to speed up in certain places; like my trial, and packing to leave for Court, but slow down in others; like saying goodbye to my old teachers, and seeing the faces of my family after my trial and when I'd received my promise mark. Kirova's leaving speech had also taken a lot of time, but one quote she'd used stuck in my head: _"You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world." -Tom Brokaw.  
_  
And, like Dimitri had said, I did feel proud of myself, and strangely eager to arrive at Court.

Again, at Court, time seemed to speed up. I was assigned to be Lissa's guardian, along with another graduate named Duarte. He had told me it meant prosperous guardian, and I hoped it was true for him.

Eddie was assigned as Christian's guardian, and Dimitri was assigned as a Court guardian, which would make looking after Rowan much easier. We also managed to enroll Rowan in the Court's nursery, and hopefully when he was older he would be able to stay at Court and train.

This was the penultimate chapter! Only one left :'( and remeber to let me know whether you want a lemon or not!

Hope you liked it! Denicia xx


	19. Chapter 19

If you're fans of Maximum Ride please check out the story Fire, water, dark and light by lazerwolf314. It's an awesome story and she really deserves more reviews than she's got atm! Thank you, Denicia xx

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 19:

'_From small beginnings come great things'. –Unknown._

It had been three months since we had moved to Court, and things had started to settle down. Lissa had decided to stay at Court for a year before going to Lehigh, to learn more about the politics and workings of the council.

Christian was working on his offensive magic privately, and also studying, to maybe teach the fire element and encourage other fire users to use it for protection.

Adrian had moved back to Court with us, stating that it was boring now that we'd left the Academy and he couldn't have any fun without us.

We also saw Mia regularly since she lived here, and it was great to spend time just hanging out and catching up on the gossip. She hadn't been shocked, though, when we'd told her about me and Dimitri. When I'd asked why she wasn't surprised, she'd laughed and told me it was obvious from the way he reacted in Spokane that he had been in love with me, but she hadn't wanted to say anything because she thought I'd been with Mason.

Eddie was enjoying being Christian's guardian, and I loved being Lissa's. It had been strange adjusting to the shift work with Duarte, but it was still good. I worked as Lissa's main guardian, and sometimes did extra shifts as a Court guardian to help save a little extra money. Rowan loved his nursery, and had lots of friends, who he told me about in extreme detail every evening.

Dimitri was also enjoying himself. He had told me that he liked the slower pace at Court, and that he got to spend more time with Rowan than if he'd been assigned to a specific Moroi. We'd been allocated a three bedroom flat/house-type thing that was within the Court's grounds, and luckily, Lissa and Christian had been situated in the flat next to ours. Our family was complete, and our life together was starting to work out.

A few days later, Lissa got sick. It wasn't anything major, just a really bad flu and food poisoning from the restaurant the night before to "celebrate three months of freedom", as Christian put it. The sickness was horrible, and made me feel ill the whole day, but it was only in the mornings when my reactions were slow that I couldn't stop myself from throwing up. And then, after a few weeks, Lissa got better again, and it started to pass. I could still feel the after-effects slightly; like still feeling ill sometimes, but I was so glad it seemed to be ending. It had been horrible feeling sick all day and not being able to eat foods I normally liked without wanting something different. Doughnuts! I loved them, but while Lissa was sick, they'd tasted strange in my mouth and I couldn't bear to even look at them. Instead, I could only keep down fruits and pasta, which made me bloat up like a rubber ring, no matter how many crunches I did in the gym. Sometimes I hated this frickin' bond.

It had been another 2 months, but I still couldn't drop the weight. I could have sworn I'd gone up a cup size, and though Dimitri didn't mind, it was irritating trying to find tops that didn't strain when I did up the top three buttons.

I'd been complaining to Lissa and she'd suggested that I see a doctor if I was still feeling so run down; which was why, instead of spending my afternoon off with Rowan and Dimitri at the park, I was sitting in the infirmary explaining what was wrong to the really patronising doctor sitting in front of me. He wasn't that bad, but I was grouchy from a lack of sleep and I'd been suffering from back and hip aches – probably from all the standing around I'd had to do.

"Well, Rose, I honestly can't see what's wrong with you - it sounds as though you might have suffered from the flu at the same time as Princess Vasilisa, but not realized that you yourself were ill too. It might have just taken your body a little while longer to recover. But, just to be sure, I'll take a blood and urine sample from you and let you know what the results are in a few days."

_'Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting.' -Dr. Seuss_

It had been a couple of days before I'd gotten my test results back, and they'd completely stunned me. Lissa had agreed to look after Rowan for the afternoon so I could tell Dimitri and give him time to adjust, which was why he was now sitting on one of the chairs in our room, waiting patiently as I tried to find the words to tell him what had happened.

Time to bite the bullet, I thought to myself, so, standing tall, I moved in front of him. "Dimitri, I haven't been sick these past few months. The doctor called me this morning and explained – I'm pregnant."

He smiled at me, but I could see the hurt in his eyes.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to have more children?" I was confused at why he was looking at me with such sadness.

"I do, Rose, and I meant what I said. But. . . ."

"But?" I urged him on.

"But I'd hoped you'd let me know beforehand when you decided to have a child. I thought we'd agreed to let each other know if we changed our minds about our family situation."

My eyes widened in understanding, and as I took a step closer to reassure him, he flinched slightly. Still, I took his hands and placed them on my stomach. "This is your baby, Dimitri. I told you, I don't want to have any children unless they're your's – in every sense of the word." I grinned at him. "This is our baby."

A gasp left his mouth as my words registered, and he pulled me closer, lifting my top so he could see my belly properly and kiss it gently. Standing up, he cupped my face in his hands and murmured, "I love you, Roza," before bending to kiss me.

I slipped my arms around his neck and felt him bend to lift me into his arms and carry me into our bedroom. Still not breaking the kiss, I nibbled gently on his lower lip, and I heard him moan with pleasure as I let my tongue trace the contours of his mouth.

Gently, he placed me on top of the bed and I twisted my fingers into his hair, pulling him down with me. We laid like that for a few minutes, enjoying being together and the thoughts that we were going to become parents for the second time – something we'd thought impossible.

Gradually, my hands left his hair and trailed down the sides of his face and along his neck until they reached his top, and I traced the outline of his chest through his shirt. He shivered and let out a low moan as my fingers reached the hem of his shirt, sitting up so I could remove it. As soon as he laid down again, my hands were back on his chest. Running my fingers lightly through the hair on his chest, his lips left mine and trailed down my neck before pausing as he unbuttoned my shirt.

When all the buttons were finally undone, Dimitri began to kiss his way back up my body, pausing to gently stroke my baby bump and whisper, "I love you so much" to both of us. The thought of us having a baby, our baby, made me smile again, and I pulled him up to meet my lips.

Rolling over, I was now straddling Dimitri's chest and his hands were resting lightly on my hips while his eyes were clouded over with a mixture of love and lust. Smiling again, I scooted backwards slightly so his zipper was exposed, and slowly undid it before sliding all the way down his legs to pull his jeans with me and remove his socks.

I pushed myself back up his body, straddling his hips, feeling his arousal press against me while he pulled me in for a fierce, passionate kiss. We flipped over again so that he was hovering over me and could tug my shorts off.

The pace changed again, becoming animalistic and passionate, the need for each other becoming too much to ignore. His arms moved around to my back, and after a few seconds he'd undone the clasp of my bra. Cupping and stroking me gently, I felt him move his mouth around my breast, and it felt like heaven. I moaned for the first time, wanting him to stay there, but at the same time needing his lips on mine and sharing that feeling. His mouth was on mine once again as his hands continued with what he was doing.

The moan was all he needed to hear. Staring into my eyes, I felt him move to the place I needed him most before entering me gently. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper. Still gazing into each other's eyes, we began to rock and thrust together. I could feel the coil of pleasure in my stomach twisting tighter and tighter as I neared my peak, and under my fingertips I could feel Dimitri's muscles tensing as he reached his at the same time as I cried out. Collapsing against me, he kissed me, a kiss full of love, before he rolled off me. Curling up against his side, I felt his arms slide around me as I drifted into a contented sleep.

THE END

**That's the end of True Love Never Runs Smooth! :'( **

**I've also written my second fic which is a story/series of one shots about various scenes in the books that I didn't feel were talked about much. They're on my page under the name 'Fool for You.' **

**I'm now writing my 3****nd**** fanfic, called The Disease, so I hope you'll check it out! It'll be up in about a week. **

**I'm going to make a few one shots about this story – their wedding, any other children, maybe even an argument or two etc, I'll add them onto this one as extra chapters!**

**I've been asked by a couple of people to write a sequel to this; but atm, I've not got a set idea, so it might not happen :( **

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this story;**rivereq, IloveCeci, CaRiNeSs, snowgoose, shyshy1016, Destinee-Rose-Belikov, gracefish21, readsalot8, lovedimitri, CrazyRunner, Aiko no Kaze, , sair-bear989, rhegan, DimitrixXxLover, tmonkey726, Millie79, Zonexi, LittleDhampir123, MaggieChauvin, jeaniemaea, Ri-nocemoose, Katherine-Rose-Rulz, Readheadtress, , DimkasRoza, soccaplayer71, Tiwilightfan023, RosemarieBelikov, VampireEva, 1234Rose, missa21, littlemissoutofmyway, Nicole Rain, Little Miss Evil, Missy, missy385, craig mabbitt is HOT, crystal49s and Beth Ann Cullen. I hope you like the one shots and the new story! Thank you so much, Denicia xx

And to my amazing beta reader lilmissryry :) She did an brilliant job; and this story wouldn't have been as good without her. Thank you Ryan! Her stories are fabulous guys; so I strongly suggest you check them out :) xx


	20. Chapter 21

Here are the extra chapters I promised; set two years after Rose and Dimitri have had their baby (a little girl called Marie). Rowan is four years old and Marie is two. Hope you enjoy it! xx

**The Wedding part 1.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 20:

'_The philosophy of mine earth can be summed up as this: Sunshine creates happiness, and I create myself. Nights are long and life is predominantly good. Wind is refreshing. Tea is wisdom. Do the best you can, and be good to yourself so that you can above all be good to others.' -Jessi Lane Adams._

"Mum."

"Dad."

"Mum."

"Dad."

"Mummy."

"Dad."

"Wake up!"

"Daddy you promised! Wake up."

Groaning I opened my eyes to meet two pairs of brown ones staring back at me expectantly. "I thought I told you both not to wa-." Rowan cut me off.

"Yes mum. Not to wake you up before eleven o'clock at least, but Aunty Lissa's coming today and nana Olena said you and dad have to help tidy up."

"No Rowan; tell nana-"

This time Marie cut me off. "No mummy; she said no excuses get up now." She ran round to the other side of the bed and started poking Dimitri. "Daddy wake up. It's time to get up!"

Dimitri groaned in response and tightened his hold around my waist. Like usual we'd been sleeping spooned up together, so I heard him clearly when he mumbled "Too early." Apparently, Marie wasn't impressed with this reply because she grabbed his hair and yanked it hard.

"Ow! Marie Vasilisa Belikov that was a very naughty thing to do!" Seeing Dimitri's face she burst into giggles."

"But it got you to wake up." Grumbling under his breath Dimitri got out of bed.

"Okay you little monster, I'm up. What does nana want me to do?"

"Well first you gotta put me on your shoulders daddy, and then we gotta go downstairs."

Chuckling Dimitri lifted her up and they left the bedroom. I could hear them talking in a mixture of Russian and English as they moved downstairs. Marie might only be two; but she's already got Dimitri wrapped around her little finger. It's hilarious to see a six foot seven inches tall guardian bossed around by a little girl who barely reaches his knee.

Smiling my eyes fell on Rowan and I opened the covers so he could climb in with me. Snuggling up he wound some of my hair around his fist. The similarities between him and Dimitri were shocking; but it just proved to me that he was ours as much as Marie was. Their personalities were such a complex mix of ours though. Like Dimitri they had that sense of calm, the thoughtfulness and the focus; but like me they were reckless, out-spoken and _extremely_ impulsive. They were also very quick witted. Grinning, I remembered Marie cussing out Stan when he commented on my past during a visit to the Academy a few months ago. Like Rowan she was fiercely protective of her family. I laughed as I remembered Rowan punching Jesse in the knee at court after graduation. Jesse had decided to re-start the rumours about me being a blood whore. Unfortunately for him, he'd done it when Rowan was within earshot. And he'd done it just after Dimitri had started teaching Rowan some basic moves. He might be human but he had a strong right hook. Jesse had been on crutches for the next three months and we'd had the added satisfaction of seeing him cry like a baby until he was carried to the medical centre. Adrian and Lissa had been laughing too hard to even think about healing him.

Laughing to myself I kissed Rowan on the cheek. "So while Marie's bossing daddy around, what should we do this morning?" His nose scrunched up as he thought.

"Well, Paul said I could go with him to the park with Aunty Karolina and Zoya when you go shopping with Aunty Lissa. Do I get to try my shirt on again?"

"No sweetie, it fits you perfectly, and you can wear it all day tomorrow."

"Okay mummy. Does that mean I can play with Paul and Zoya?"

"Okay, but you have to have your shower and brush your teeth first. _And_ be on your best behaviour." Kissing me on the cheek he scrambled out of bed.

"I promise mummy. See you later! And don't forget Aunty Lissa's coming soon!"

Two hours later:

Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Eddie, Mia, Duarte and my mum had all arrived at Olena's house safely and had decided to drop their stuff at the hotel before; me, Lissa, Viktoria and Mia went shopping.

We decided to drive into central Baia; as they had a larger selection of dress shops to choose from and I'd be able to look for their dresses without them becoming suspicious. Viktoria and the rest of the Belikov's knew why the real reason we'd come to Russia; but Lissa and the others thought it was for a group holiday. Searching through a couple of racks of dresses I heard Mia calling over to me.

"So Rose. What are we looking for exactly? What's the occasion?"

"Well, I was thinking that tomorrow we could head into Novosibirsk and hit a few of the more elitist Moroi clubs; or we could go to a nice restaurant instead. What would you prefer to do?" Viktoria laughed at my excuse; but neither Lissa nor Mia seemed suspicious, instead they shrugged and kept looking.

Moving through a few different shops, we still hadn't found any dresses that seemed right. They were too big; or too flouncy. The neckline was too deep or the colour was all wrong. I'd been allowed to choose the wedding colours and so I'd picked white and chocolate brown because it reminded me of Dimitri's eyes. Red or royal blue had been my other choices; but we'd gone shopping with the kids before we left court and found the most gorgeous dress for Marie; and a cute waistcoat and bow tie for Rowan that were both in brown. (The links for the all clothes are on my profile.) And after a few more hours of searching we'd found a cream waistcoat for Dimitri and the adults version of Rowan's tie. Both of their suits were chocolate brown as well. Taking the kids around Baia we soon found my dress. It was simple yet effective. I didn't need an overpowering or detailed dress to make me look beautiful. Dimitri loved me and I didn't need to dress up to prove it. So we'd seen an understated floor length white gown that tapered in at my waist and flowed gently to the floor. It was simple, but effective and with my hair curled up with diamante pins; it would be a classic look that everyone would love. All we needed were the dresses for the girls; and hopefully, we'd find them today.

After a little while we stumbled into a little side street. It wasn't very busy; but had a couple of shops on it so we decided to take a look anyway. One shop seemed to sell old pieces of furniture; but the other sold a mixture of clothes, books and shoes.

Flicking through the racks a flash of brown in the corner of the store caught my eye. It was a chocolate brown strapless chiffon dress that reached to just above the knee. With a belt in the same colour that tied just below the bust. It was perfect.

And judging from the looks on Lissa, Viktoria and Mia's faces, they thought it was gorgeous too.

"Okay I'm guessing from the silence that you all agree when I sat that this is a gorgeous dress." Mutely, they all nodded at me. "Well let's see if they've got three more in your sizes and try them on!" Luckily for us, they had extra dresses and we quickly found three that would fit them. Running back across the town centre we burst into one of the shoe shops that we'd visited earlier on in the day. I wanted them to wear black heels; then they could be used again.

It's me again :D I just wanted to say there are three amazing stories I've been reading lately; but the people writing them haven't had many reviews :'(

The stories are; **The Right Thing **bylovedimitri. **The Daily Fight To Stay Sane** by Lilian85. And **The Prophecy** by Goddess life. Please check these stories out – they are brilliant, and deserve lots more readers! Thank you, Denicia xx


	21. Chapter 22

Here's the next part! There are 5 parts to the wedding; and then this story is all done. However, thanks to GoldenIvy and snowdrop0594, I have a brilliant idea for a sequel =] but, it won't be posted until I finish my 3rd fic, The Disease; which I'll be posting as soon as this story is done!

**The Wedding part 2.**

Disclaimer: Like usual, I don't own Vampire Academy, its characters or content.

Chapter 21:

'_A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.' -Mignon McLaughlin, __The Second Neurotic's Notebook__, 1966_

I woke up early; excitement humming through my body as I realised I wasn't curled up against Dimitri like usual. Hearing a small groan from the floor I remembered what had happened. Dimitri had come with me to bed for a few hours until the time got closer to eleven o'clock. Then we'd had a very long goodbye kiss and he'd left with Rowan to stay in a hotel. Like he would in America, he wasn't going to see me before the wedding started. Rowan, Orel (Sonya's son) and Paul had decided to go with him to keep him company since Rowan and Orel were going to be the pageboys and Paul was going to be Dimitri's best man. As soon as he'd left Marie, Zoya, Lissa, Mia and Viktoria had all brought their sleeping stuff into my room so they could keep me company.

Looking round I could see that the others were all starting to stir and I grinned brightly. They still didn't know what was happening today; and to be honest I was surprised they hadn't figured it out. They thought we were waking up early to go on a spa retreat before we went out to dinner; a real day of pampering and fun. While it was true we were going to be pampered, they were gonna be surprised with the end result.

We all took long relaxing showers so we were squeaky clean by the time the hairdresser and make up artists arrived. They'd been booked long in advance; while we were still at court, so they knew exactly what the cover story was and had their excuses ready. Olena had made us breakfast before she left with Yeva, Karolina and Sonya to check the church was decorated correctly and the reception was being set up the way we wanted. While my hair was washed I munched my breakfast and tried to answer Liss and Mia's question as best as I could without raising their suspicions.

"Liss, this is the spa pampering thing I told you about. Our hair's getting washed and styled, don't worry I picked out the perfect styles for you guys. Then we get manicures, pedicures and facials. Pick a polish that will go with the dresses we bought yesterday. You all need to wear the same colour or have your nails in a French manicure, y'know white tips. Actually that would look better, French manicure on your hands and polish on your toes." I could see the make up artists taking note of what I was saying. "Then we get to relax for a little while; before we get changed into our clothes and taken to the surprise place I'm not telling you about. When we get there the final touches will be made to our hair and faces. So just relax and enjoy it, okay."

Poking her tongue at me she sighed and picked up a magazine. Mia just shrugged and Viktoria giggled, realising they still didn't know what was really happening. "Since everyone's shut up, I'm gonna try and sleep for the next couple of hours. I'll see you guys when you're all beautified and gorgeous." More giggles from all of them as I shut my eyes and smiled.

We'd finally arrived at the church. From what I could through the doors; it was absolutely gorgeous. Mia and Lissa hadn't seen my dress yet because I'd sent them down to their car as soon as they were changed. The windows were blacked out and they'd been blindfolded when they arrived. I didn't want them to see anything until it was all done.

Walking in Olena and my mum grabbed my arms and steered me down one of the long corridors before I got the chance to admire the decorations properly. I'd requested lots and lots of flowers to match my bouquet; so the church was covered in bunches of white roses and brown trumpet lilies (bouquet link on profile). Focusing back on my two mothers I realised my mum was talking. "-Can admire the church later, right now Mia and Lissa are going out of their minds trying to figure out what's going on, and there are several guests who'd like to see you before the ceremony. Dimitri, Paul, Rowan and Orel have arrived and are ready; they're in their dressing room waiting before they go to greet the guests. The hairdresser and make up artists are waiting to make the final adjustments to you and your dress."

"Okay mum, chill. Breathe. Thank you so much to both of you for doing all this and helping us out so much; we really do appreciate it. Now it's your turn to sit back and watch." I hugged and kissed them both on the cheeks. "You've made this day as special as it could be. Mum, thank you so much for organising everything and helping to sort it without Lissa or the others finding out. Olena, from what I saw the church looks beautiful. I can't wait until I get the chance to take it all in properly; and I bet the reception will look just as good. Now both of you go and relax! I'll see you when I'm walking up the altar." Laughing, Olena pulled me into another hug and kissed my forehead.

"Okay Roza my daughter. I love you and you know that you are a treasured member of this family. Thank you for making my Dimka so happy and giving him a family; this was the least I could do for you. But I know you have many people to meet and not much time to do it in; so I will go and check on Dimka and the kids, before I come and see you again before the wedding." Smiling, she rested her hand on my cheek before hurrying back down the corridor to the room I presumed Dimitri was in.

I heard a small sniffle and looked down in shock. My mum had a small hanky pressed to her eyes and looked like she was trying to cover up the fact that she was crying. "Mum! Oh no, I didn't mean to make you cry!" Reaching out I tried to pull her into a hug; but she pushed me away slightly.

"No! Don't hug me - I don't want to ruin your dress. I just can't believe you're getting married. I've only really known you for such a short time and now you've got a family and pretty soon a husband; and that's what I wanted for you Rose. I didn't think it would be possible, especially with a guardian's lifestyle, but you were right, you could do it and you did. I'm so pleased for you both and I need to go and tell Dimitri too. But, I was also wondering, who have you got to walk you down the altar?"

I was slightly surprised by this question. Mum knew that I didn't know who my dad was. "Well since I don't know who my dad is, and I've never met him, I'm going to walk down the aisle alone." I wasn't too bothered about it really. Considering I'd thought I'd never end up with the life I did now, walking alone was no big deal.

Something sparkled in her eyes and she gave me a small grin. She was hiding something. "Ok well, I better let you go and explain to Vasilisa and Mia what's actually happening. I don't think they're going to take it lightly."

Laughing I gave her one last hug. "Yep, Lissa's gonna skin me alive. But I'll see you later. Thanks mum."

'_Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.' -Barnett R. Brickner_

"Okay Lissa, Mia you can take off your blindfolds." They did as they were told and gasped when they saw me. I'd quickly had my hair and make up checked before they were brought into my room.

Mia was the first to regain her composure. "Rose, what the hell is happening? Is that a wedding dress? It's gorgeous, and you look amazing but, what the hell is happening?" Hearing Mia talk, the shock began to wear off and Lissa began to talk.

"Rosemarie Hathaway!" Uh oh, her voice indicated that she wasn't very pleased with me; but I could feel a rollercoaster of emotions through the bond. She was extremely happy at the fact that Dimitri and I were finally getting married, and she was starting to become excited too. But she also felt a little disappointed because she hadn't been able to help me out with any of the details. Added to this was understanding at why we'd gone shopping yesterday; and why I'd been so insistent we all went on this 'group holiday.' Surprisingly, she was angry with Viktoria for not telling her what was happening, not me; but there was a lot of hurt added in. She was wondering why I'd kept it all such a big secret; after the dare where Dimitri had revealed his feelings for me, she thought I'd tell her everything. She was worried that there were other things I hadn't told her; and she wouldn't have any way of knowing what they were.

"Liss, I know you're angry and confused and feeling a whole lot of other emotions; so give me the chance to explain." Nodding, she sat in one of the spare chairs. "I didn't tell you because I couldn't. And it wasn't just you I didn't tell; none of the other guests knew either; like you they all thought we were having a party to celebrate Dimitri's ten years as a guardian – Olena explained to them as the arrived at the church today. The only people who knew before today were; me, Dimitri, the kids, his family, my mum and Adrian. And no, I didn't tell him – he dream walked when I was thinking about the preparations and guessed. I couldn't tell because of the queen." Shock came through the bond.

"You know the queen was against me becoming your guardian in the first place; and since I graduated she's been trying her hardest to get me reassigned. But she couldn't do that without attracting a lot of unwanted attention. But she found out that Dimitri had proposed to me. You remember Dimitri asked when we were on the way to the shopping mall so that no one would know; and then we were planning to go to a human church a few months later to marry?"

"Yeah, but you said that the time wasn't right. What with the fact that you'd just had Marie, and Rowan was having problems at school."

I sighed. "No Liss, I made all of that up. The truth was that the queen had the car bugged, or someone was spying and reporting on us because she called me up into her chambers. She told me that if I went ahead with the marriage she would have Dimitri reassigned, the kids taken away, and I'd be sent to a commune. I couldn't let that happen. So I called off the wedding. And then we started planning this one. It took a long time because we had to be sure no one was actually spying on us. But with a lot of help from Dimitri's family; we got it all sorted. I told them what I wanted; and they organised it. That's why I didn't tell you Liss. No one in court knew except for Adrian; and he knew if he'd spilled our secret, I'd have kicked his ass."

That made her laugh, and I could feel the anger and hurt slip away. Squealing both she and Mia grabbed me up in a hug which caused us all to laugh. "But I have one more thing to ask. Lissa, will you be my chief bridesmaid please? And Mia, will you be one of my other bridesmaids too?" Squealing again, they both hugged me again."

Mia spoke first. "Of course I will Rose. This is so cool! I understand why you couldn't tell anyone; and I'm so happy for you both. But, I'll have to get your present when we get back to the States."

"Thanks Mia, and don't worry about presents. We just wanted all of our family and friends to be here. But… if you do buy something, I'd love some new lip gloss."

Lissa interrupted before Mia could reply. "Yes I'll be your chief bridesmaid! Thank you, thank you, thank you! But who are the groomsmen and other bridesmaids? Aren't Marie and Rowan doing anything?"

"Calm down Liss. Marie is the flower girl and Rowan is the pageboy. You're the chief bridesmaid with Christian as your groomsman." I felt a flash of happiness through the bond. Lissa was imagining what her wedding would be like if they got married. She was already planning the dresses and wondering if I'd be her chief bridesmaid too. "Of course I will Liss. You don't even need to ask. Mia, you're another bridesmaid with Eddie as your groomsman, and Viktoria is my other one, with Adrian as her groomsman. Zoya is another flower girl with Orel as the other pageboy. Dimitri asked Paul to be his best man."

A huge shout out to **GoldenIvy** for reviewing almost every chapter of this story. You're amazing, thank you so much! Please check out her stories, especially **Why Me**, and its sequel **Lost**. They're absolutely brilliant!

And a huge hug to my beta reader **lilmissryry**; for making all the brilliant changes needed to these last five chapters. Please check out her story **Love, No Restrictions**; and the sequel **Out of Reach**.


	22. Chapter 23

Thank you very much to; **Crazy Runner**, Bella Destinee Rose Belikov, **rivereq**, CaRiNeSs, **GoldenIvy**, shyshy1016, **snowgoose,** lilmissryry, **gracefish21**, MaggieChauvin, **jeaniemaea**, lovedimitri, **sair-Roza-Belikov**, , **DimitrixXxLover**, Dimka's Roza, **Katherine Rose Rulz**, Zonexi, **hanane**, IloveCeci, **missa27**, LittleDhampir123, **Ri-nocemoose**, readsalot8, **Nicole Rain**, Little Miss Evil, **Missy**, crystal 49s, **Millie79**, tmonkey726, **rhegan**, Aiko no Kaze, **littlemissoutofmyway**, Readheadtress, , soccaplayer71, **RosemarieBelikov**, Tiwilightfan023, **VampireEva**, 1234Rose, **missy385**, Beth Ann Cullen, **anastasiac**, bloopee, **Ange1punk**, Capribaby1228, **zoe0316,** Cherrygirl132, **Cool-Kiddo**, RoseElla, **NCISprobette**, huntress35, **buklover96, **shadowstorm1105, **Airvamp12**, Black Iris 95, **xoxdreamrrxox**, ohh-KATIE-RoSE, **sprinkles4cookies**, (), **iluvdimka**, cookie932 and **Vampire Crazz**.

**The Wedding Part 3.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

Chapter 22:

'_If two stand shoulder to shoulder against the gods,  
Happy together, the gods themselves are helpless  
Against them while they stand so.' -Maxwell Anderson_

It had taken a long while for Lissa and Mia to calm down; but I'd had to throw them out eventually. They needed to speak with Viktoria so they knew exactly what they had to do; and to practice walking with the guys. I'd spoken to a lot of the guests too. They'd been surprised at what we'd actually been planning; but pleased to have been invited. Well, I hoped they were pleased; no one had stormed up to me angrily yet; so that was good. Alberta and Stan were the last few people I'd seen. They'd both hugged me; and I'd thought for a minute that Stan would have a heart attack because I kissed him on the cheek. I'd seen Marie and the rest of the Belikov's and they'd fawned over my dress for a little while before I kicked them out too. Christian, Adrian and Eddie had come in after that.

"Well little dhampir, all I can say is that you look absolutely stunning, and Belikov's a lucky guy to have you. I really do hope everything works out well for you both, and this is just the start of a very long and happy life together."

"Thank you Adrian." I'd smiled even though tears were forming in my eyes. "And thank you so much for helping to keep it a secret. I really appreciate it."

Eddie stepped forward and hugged me too. "Rose, I really don't know what to say except for congratulations. You deserve this more than anyone; and you're my best friend. I'm surprised that you did it all without us knowing; but I'm honoured that you chose me as one of your ushers." He gave me a quick wink. "And Dimitri can't wait to see you either. This is the first time I've ever seen him fidget so much." The thought made me laugh, and I kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks Eddie. You know you're my best friend too; and I can't wait until I'm watching your wedding." I waggled my eyebrows at him. "I've seen the attention you get from the girls. It won't be long Mr. Castile."

Lastly it was Christian. "Well Rose, I know we've had our ups and downs; but I really do want you to be happy. You're Lissa's best friend; and like a sister to me. I see the dedication you show to her, and you did the same for me during the trials. I hope this is the amazing day you deserve." And then he had to ruin it. "And if Dimitri comes to his senses and cuts his losses before it's too late, you know Lissa will be there to comfort you."

Glaring, I punched him in the arm. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Sparky. Just know that when _you_ get married, there is a line where _anyone_ can give their reasons for you to not be married. So don't tempt me."

Finally, with half an hour until the ceremony was supposed to start, Rowan came into my room. "Mummy, you look beautiful."

"Thank you sweetie. You look gorgeous too." And it was true. His suit fitted him perfectly and the brown set it off perfectly. "Are you ready for later?"

"Yep we're all ready. Daddy's nervous though, and really excited. He said to tell you that he loves you lots and lots and can't wait to see you the altar. He was practicing his speech for the _millionth_ time."

I laughed again. "Please tell daddy that I love him too, and I'm all ready to become Mrs. Belikov."

"I will, and I'll tell him how pretty you look too. Everyone likes the decorations. I'll see you in a little while. Nana Janine said she's coming back in a minute cos there's someone special you need to meet."

Soon after Rowan left there was another knock at my door and my mum came in with some moroi guy I didn't know. He didn't look royal; but I got the feeling that he was important. Hair that was slightly darker than mine, closer to black; with a face that was slightly tanned despite the moroi inability to stand strong sunlight for too long. A small gold hoop in one of his ears, and a bright turquoise scarf tucked into the collar of his suit. The whole outfit looked like it cost more than my entire wedding did. The suit was black with a crisp white shirt; making the colour of the silk scarf stand out even further.

Next to him was mum, dressed in an emerald green dress that set her hair off perfectly. The neckline was modest, but the dress cinched in at her waist showing off her figure nicely. The dress reached to just below her knee and a black shawl draped over her shoulders completed the look.

"Hey mum, Rowan said you wanted me to meet someone. I assume this is the person?" She actually looked nervous; and the nerves finally hit me. All day, I'd felt so confident, sure that nothing would go wrong; but watching her face I started to worry that maybe someone at court had found out and told the queen. That would be the only reason she looked so anxious.

"Yes Rose, I did want to introduce you. This is Abe Mazur." She looked at me expectantly, but I stared back blankly. I'd never heard of him before, and didn't understand why she'd brought him. Maybe he was her plus one, or they were dating and she wanted my opinion. Ewww, that would be gross. "Do you remember I asked you earlier who was going to walk you down the aisle?"

I nodded. Why didn't she just hurry up and get to the point? "Well, Abe is your father. And I was wondering, if perhaps, you'd like for him to walk you down the aisle?"

I was gob smacked. I hadn't expected to ever meet my father, and now he was here; asking to walk me down the aisle twenty minutes before it was supposed to actually happen! Was she crazy? "Hello, Mr. M-, I mean dad." Then I turned to my mum. "Are you actually crazy? Did you get into a fight last night and hit your head too hard? I mean, I appreciate you introducing us mum, but did it have to be twenty minutes before I get married?" My voice was raising, and I could feel the stress starting to build up again.

"Well, you didn't exactly give me much warning Rose. I called him yesterday as soon as you told me, and he-".

"It's ok Janine. Look let me and Rose talk for a little while. If she doesn't want me to walk her then I won't, but I would like to watch the rest of the ceremony. Would that be ok Rose?"

I nodded. "Yeah sure, I didn't mean to shout mum, it just… took me by surprise."

Nodding she left the room and I turned to face my dad. Neither of us said anything for a moment, just taking in each others appearances. Finally he spoke. "Well Rose, I know it's a lot to take in; but yep I'm your dad. I'm sorry we haven't met before; but most of the time it hasn't been… practical for us to meet and get to know each other. When Janine rang me yesterday, I came straight over in the hopes that I'd be able to meet you before you joined your new family. I really do want to walk you down the aisle; and get to know you, Dimitri and my grandchildren if you'll let me. But I understand if you don't want me to."

"Well it has been a huge shock to meet you after twenty one years of not even knowing your name. But, yes I would like it very much if you'd walk me down the aisle. And we've got about fifteen minutes to catch up really quickly. But, if you stayed afterwards; you could meet the rest of my family and we could meet up another time to talk properly."

He smiled at me, and I could see the relief written clearly across his face. "That would be brilliant. And thank you for giving me this chance."

We chatted for another couple of minutes until Lissa came to get me. I introduced her quickly and even though she was surprised, she covered it well. Then she turned to me.

"Are you ready? It's time to go!"

"Yep I'm all ready Liss, is everyone else in their places?"

"Viktoria and Mia have the kids and are running through what they need to do one last time. All the guests are seated and accounted for. Dimitri and Paul are at the altar, ready and waiting for you. And your mum and Olena are sitting together sobbing their hearts out, it's quite sweet really." I giggled at the thought of my mum crying over something like this. "Now do you have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?"

"My engagement ring is old, it was Yeva's. My dress is new. Olena let me borrow the diamond pins for my hair, and I'm wearing the blue garter you bought for me on my fake hen night." We both giggled remembering that night. We'd gone out to every club we could find the day after Dimitri proposed, claiming we wanted to practice for the real one. We'd both gotten absolutely plastered, flirted with anything in trousers and dressed up like it was a real one. Needless to say, we had the worst hangovers you could imagine the next morning, but it had been worth it. What it wasn't worth was Dimitri still making me wake up extra early to train and 'detox' my system.

Suddenly I felt nervous. What if Dimitri changed his mind? Or someone stopped the wedding? As if she could read my mind Lissa hugged me. "It's going to be amazing Rose. Dimitri loves you, so don't worry about it. You don't need to. Now let's go; you don't want to keep him waiting, and make him worry do you?"

I grinned; she always knew how to make me feel better. "Thanks Liss. Come on dad, its show time."

A huge shout out too Crazy Runner. I'm really glad you've got lots more quotes too use; and thank ou so much for reviewing every chapter and reading my other stories! lol I'm glad you liked the part where Jesse got punched :D and I'm sorry I can't reply to you properly :'( if you get an account I'd be more than happy to! Yeah, I didn't want the queen to be mean; but she had to be for the sequel to work - so she's a meanie! Thank you again for reading :) Denicia xx


	23. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

**The Wedding part 4.**

Chapter 23:

'_Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without.' -James C. Dobson_

With butterflies in my stomach I saw Marie and Rowan walk up the aisle arm in arm; followed by Zoya and Orel. A quick hug from Mia and Eddie before they too made their way towards Dimitri. A wink from Adrian and a kiss on the cheek from Viktoria; and they were also on their way. Finally Christian pulled me into a quick hug and Lissa gave out a small squeal. "Okay Rose, this is it. Good luck. You look beautiful." Another kiss on the cheek and they were gone. It was my turn.

Taking a deep breath I picked up my bouquet, a larger version of the one Lissa had. White roses and brown trumpet lilies. Gently my dad squeezed my arm. "You ready?"

Grinning I nodded back. All of my fears had gone; and all I could fee was anticipation and excitement. I'd been waiting for this day my whole life. Hearing the opening bars of Pachelbel's Canon in D, the guests all stood; and I stepped round the corner, ready to walk up the aisle.

The first person I saw was Dimitri. My breath caught as I gazed at him. His hair was pulled back like usual though a few stands still hung loose around his face. The suit I'd chosen fitted him perfectly; and the colour added to his skin tone, making him glow. My eyes travelling back up his body to his face I could see he'd been doing exactly the same thing as I had. And meeting his eyes I fell in love with him all over again. They were filled with love; and I could only hope that mine were showing him the same thing.

I hadn't even realised that I'd still been walking; and I was nearing the front of the church. Dimly, I recognised some of the guests but didn't stop to look; all I wanted was to get to Dimitri so I could become his wife. Reaching the altar; my dad placed my hand in Dimitri's and kissed me on the cheek. "Look after her Dimitri, congratulations."

Like Lissa, Dimitri covered the shock well. "I will sir, and thank you." Nodding, dad moved to sit next to my mum; who gave me a watery smile.

Grinning, I gave Dimitri's hand a small squeeze and we both turned to face the priest.

Even though I took notice during the whole service; it was like I was back at graduation. Certain things sped past and certain parts slowed. The Opening Prayer. "_Father, hear our prayers for Rose and Dimitri who today are united in marriage before Your altar. Give them Your blessing, and strengthen their love for each other. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. _

The next prayer_ "__Let us pray. Father, You have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his church. Hear our prayers for Rose and Dimitri. With faith in You and in each other They pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love."_

The first reading from The Book of Ruth (1:16-17).

The second reading from the 1st letter of St Paul to the Corinthians. _"If I speak in the tongues__of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. _

_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. _

_Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. _

_And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."_

The Gospel reading. From the book of Matthew. (51: 1-12).

Then we finally reached the Marriage Rites.

The priest spoke first. "Dear Children of God, you have come to this church so that the lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community. Christ blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism; now by a special sacrament, he strengthens you to fulfil the duties of your married life. Rose and Dimitri you are about to celebrate this sacrament. Have you come here of your own free will and choice and without compulsion to marry each other?"

"**We have."**

"Will you love and honour each other in marriage all the days of your life?"

"**We will."**

"Are you willing to accept with love the children God may send you and bring them up in accordance with the law of Christ and his Church?"

"**We are." **

"I invite you then to declare before God and His Church your consent to become husband and wife."

We'd both chosen to use the traditional quotes, but to add our own parts on to the beginning.

Dimitri spoke. "Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame; very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals; deep-burning and unquenchable. (quote by Bruce Lee)You're the home my heart's searched for, for so long. True love comes softly, quietly, and is often unexpected. It takes the breath away and heals the soul. (unknown author).

I, Dimitri take you Rose as my wife, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of our life."

Now it was my turn. "Rescue me not only with your hands but with your heart as well. I will respond to you.

Rescue me not out of pity but out of love. I will love you back.

Rescue me not with self-righteousness but with compassion. I will learn what you teach.

Rescue me not because of my past but because of my future. I will relax and enjoy.

Rescue me not simply to save me but to give me new life. I will appreciate your gift.

Rescue me not only with a firm hand but with tolerance and patience. I will please you.

Rescue me not only because of who I am but who I'm to become. I will grow and mature.

Rescue me not to revere yourself to others but because you want me. I will never let you down.

Rescue me not with a hidden agenda but with a desire to teach me to trust. I will be loyal and true.

Rescue me not to be chained or to fight but to be your companion. I will stand by your side.

Rescue me not to replace one you've lost but to soothe your spirit. I will cherish you.

Rescue me not to be your pet but to be your friend. I will give you unconditional love.

Rescue me with true love in your heart and I will give you these things all the days of my life. (Rescue Me by Terri Onerato.)

I, Rose take you Dimitri as my husband, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of our life."

"What God joins together man must not separate. May the Lord confirm the consent that you have given and enrich you with His blessings."

Then it was time for us to swap rings. As Paul was the best man, he had been given the responsibility of ring-bearer and so he gave my ring to the priest who blessed it and gave it to Dimitri. "This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours."

A single tear ran down my cheek and he brushed it away gently as the priest blessed his ring. Then I spoke. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." "Lord, bless Rose and Dimitri and consecrate their married life. May these rings be a symbol of their faith in each other, and a reminder of their love. Through Christ our Lord.

"You may now kiss the bride." A huge grin spread across both of our faces; and Dimitri pulled me into his arms gently. I tilted my face up to his and felt his lips gently press against mine before I twined my arms around his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss. Once I did this there were shouts and cheers from all of our guests; and the kiss ended. Smiling, I stretched up and kissed him again, gently before we turned to face our family and friends.

Finally we all took Holy Communion before the ceremony ended with a Nuptial Blessing and dismissal. Then we moved into the sacristy to sign the register.

Celebrant: Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov. Father: Abraham Mazur.

Chief Bridesmaid: Vasilisa Dragomir.

Bridesmaids: Mia Rinaldi and Viktoria Belikov.

BestMan: Paul Belikov.

Groomsman: Christian Ozera. Adrian Ivashkov. Eddie Castile.

Readers: Karolina Belikov. Sonya Belikov.

Prayers of the Faithful: Olena Belikov.

Music: Pachelbel's Canon in D

Ugh, I didn't like this chapter very much; but hopefully the next one will make up for it being so rubbish! Sorry :'(


	24. Chapter 25

This is it; the last ever chapter of True Love Never Runs Smooth. I know I said it last time, but I mean it this time. :D However, the sequel is being written! Hope you enjoy it xx

**The Wedding Part 5:**

Chapter 25:

'_So this is love, Mmmmmm, so this is love. So this is what makes life divine, I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm, and now I know, the key to all heaven is mine. My heart has wings, Mmmmmm, and I can fly. I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky. So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of. Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm, so this is love.' –Cinderella._

'_You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well.' -Author Unknown__._

Smiling Dimitri and I entered the doors leading to the dining room as Lissa announced. "The newly married Mr and Mrs Dimitri Belikov!" Because the wedding had been set for so late in the day; we'd set the wedding meal for straight after the ceremony; and then the party would start immediately after that. While we ate several people came up to talk and congratulate us; or to speak to the children. Gradually, after we'd spoken to almost everyone, my dad stood and the room grew quiet.

"I hope you all don't mind if I start the toasts." There were murmurs of encouragement around the room, and so I sat back and relaxed. Dimitri's arm was wrapped around my waist and I was snuggled again his chest, despite the fact that we were sitting in separate chairs. I had no idea what dad was going to say; so I took advantage of the short interruption to kiss Dimitri. A lot of the guests seemed to have heard about Abe and his job, but so far no one had guessed why he was actually here. As soon as my lips touched Dimitri's I forgot he was here. I forgot about everyone else in the room, even our kids as the kiss grew. It was as if everything we'd been through had been leading up to this moment, to us finally having our family, and becoming man and wife. It was only hearing a few polite coughs that I realised we weren't alone; and blushing I pulled back, hearing a few people chuckle.

Dad smiled at me before continuing. "As I was saying, Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this joyous occasion. I haven't known Rose or Dimitri for very long. In fact, I only met Rose this morning; and I'm so thankful that she allowed me the honour of walking her down the aisle. Rose, you looked beautiful today; and I'm sure everyone in here agrees with me when I say Dimitri is a lucky guy. Welcome to the family Dimitri, congratulations to the both of you; and I hope your marriage is a long and happy one." There were sounds of agreement coming from the guests. "So you'll understand Dimitri when I say; if you do anything in any way to hurt my daughter; you will pay. Dearly." I glared hearing this; but Dimitri chuckled and whispered in my ear.

"Calm down Roza. He's just being protective, like he should be. I swear to you that I will never do anything to hurt you; whether that be emotionally, mentally or physically. I've done it to you too many times before, thinking it was for the best; and finding out that it wasn't. I will never, ever do that again. I love you."

I grinned before replying. "I know you won't, because if you do, it won't be my dad you'll have to worry about. I'll make what happened to Jesse look like a walk in the park. And I love you too."

It was Dimitri's turn to speak and I turned to watch him speak. "We'd both like to say thank you Abe, for your… inspiring toast; and the well wishes. And thank you; since without you; Rose wouldn't be who she is today. Thank you to my mother Olena; for always supporting despite the hardships our family's endured in the past. For always pushing me to do the best I could and to reach my goals; yet still keeping me grounded and encouraging me when I found Rose. You were the one who convinced me to hold on tight and never let go, even when I thought it would be better to do otherwise. Again, we'd both like to thank you to you all for attending today; and making it as special as possible for us. Thanks to Christian, Eddie, Adrian, Vasilisa and Mia for agreeing to be such a central part of the wedding despite the lack of warning. Thank you to Paul for being the best, best man we could ask for; and to Vasilisa for being an amazing chief bridesmaid. Victoria, Zoya and Orel, thank you too. And an extra special thanks to our beautiful children; Rowan and Marie. You made this day perfect, simply by being here and sharing it with us."

Hearing her name Marie stood up in Lissa's lap. "That's okay daddy. Did you have fun? I had fun." There was laughter all round the room at her input.

"Yes Marie, mummy and I had lots of fun. Finally, I'd like to say thank you to my beautiful wife Rose for many things." He turned to face me this time. "Firstly; for giving me so many chances, and never accepting the times when I tried to push you away. For loving me everyday despite my many faults and shortcomings. For giving me two loving children and bringing them up to be grounded and well mannered young people with plenty of love in their hearts and laughter in their lives. I still remember meeting you for the first time on the walkway when you were trying to escape with the princess. And I'm not trying to sound overly sentimental when I say that I knew my life would change. At the time I thought it would be for the worse; but you changed my mind, and made me see that it was really for the better. I love you because you're passionate about everything you do; whether it be; between us, looking after our children, helping your friends or doing your job. I love you because you're so selfless, so caring and you do all you can to help people, even strangers you've just met. I love you for being you, for being Rosemarie Hathaway; and for always staying true to who you are no matter the odds that are stacked against you. And I mean this with all my heart when I say I hope you stay that way forever. I promise to love you for the next sixty, seventy, eighty years, for the rest of our lives. To sit with you as we get old and grey, watching our children grow and have their own families. I love you."

'_Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.' –Unknown.  
_

'_Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.' –Unknown._

Turning back to the speeches I saw that Paul had stood up. "I just wanted to say thank you to Uncle Dimka for asking me be his best man today. Aunty Rose; you look beautiful, and this whole wedding has been amazing. I hope you get to have lots of anniversaries. So can I ask all the guests to raise a toast to you and Uncle Dimka; for a long and happy life together. Oh, and mummy said I had to warn you that Uncle Dimka used to get married to Barbie when he was little; so don't let him near Marie's toys."

There was strong laughter this time; and we both joined in. Olena stood once the room had started to quieten down. "So now that all the speeches have been given, and everyone has eaten, I'd like to invite you into the next room for the party. As we stood I thought I saw a flash of red by the doors; but when I looked closer, there was nothing there. Shrugging, I linked my fingers with Dimitri's and continued into the next room.

'_You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry.' –Unknown._

Adrian had asked to be the DJ and so once everyone had moved into the party room he spoke into the microphone. "Okay so I hope everyone's having a brilliant time at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Belikov. But this evening wouldn't be complete without the first dance. So can all the guests please form a circle around the dance floor. Rose and Dimitri, please can you- Wait where are they?"

It was only because I heard Lissa's voice in my head that I stopped kissing Dimitri. Then I could hear what Adrian was saying. "Now that you've finished eating each other's faces, would you mind coming over for your first dance." Laughing, I took Dimitri's hand and we moved over to the dance floor._  
_

'_Sometimes we make love with our eyes. Sometimes we make love with our hands. Sometimes we make love with our bodies. Always we make love with our hearts.' –Unknown.  
_

'_For twas not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul.' -Judy Garland._

We hadn't been able to pick between Etta James' At Last or Laura Izibor's Mmm so instead we'd decided to have them merged together. It started with Mmm and then tailed off at the end into At Last. We hadn't been sure if the guests would like it; but those two songs seemed to speak perfectly about our relationship, and so they were the songs we were going to have.

Gently, Dimitri slipped his arms around my waist as I wrapped mine around his neck and we began to sway to the music._ 'Make everything so simple in a crazy world, and I'm tryna find the words to say, you make everything alright just by being around boy, mmm, you make me wanna sing. Mmm, You're my light in the dark, guiding, guiding me home, and your faith in me, is all I need, baby, your love it sets me free. Mmm, I need a little help, I can't seem to breathe these days no, knowing you're around. Ohh, mmm. Ohhh, you make me wanna sing, a song, ohh. You make me, you make me yeah, mmm.' _

My arms tightened round his neck as At Last started to play and I could tell Dimitri was remembering the past few years as this song played. His mouth brushed against my ear as he whispered "This song is perfect Roza. I love you, and only you forever. Thank you for making me the happiest man alive."

"I love you too. Thank you for loving me and making me Mrs. Dimitri Belikov." Gently I pulled his face towards mine until our lips met.

_At last  
my love has come along  
my lonely days over  
and life is like a song _

_Ooh, yeah, yeah  
At last  
the skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clover  
the night I looked at you _

_I found a dream  
that I could speak to  
A dream that I  
can call my own  
I found a thrill  
to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known  
Ohh, yeah, yeah_

You smile  
you smile  
Ooh and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
for you are mine at last 

Sneak peak at my next story, The Disease. (It's going to be posted up tomorrow, so if you're interested please check it out!)

Summary: Tasha get the message. Dimitri doesn't want you or to be your guardian, and he never will. You're a pathetic bitch, who can't get over herself or being rejected. We'll find a cure without your 'help'."

It had been three years since we'd finally graduated from St. Vladimir's and moved to Court. Three years since that devastating attack on the Academy. Three years since the love of my life had chosen me over the woman who could give him everything. Three years, and Tasha_ still_ hadn't got the message that Dimitri didn't, and _wouldn't_, want her.

Every year, Tasha asked him if he'd reconsidered, and wanted to change from being Christian's guardian. And every year, Dimitri told her no. But this year, she hadn't asked. Everyone had breathed a sigh of relief, and thought she'd stopped, but a small voice at the back of my mind told me she wouldn't give up that easily. Maybe I was simply being paranoid, and so I pushed my fears out of my mind and continued with my favourite job in the world – guarding Lissa.

Things hadn't been easy when we'd first moved to Court. There'd been a lot of opposition about me being Lissa's guardian, especially since Dimitri had asked to be reassigned from Lissa to Christian. They'd thought it would be better for Dimitri to guard Lissa, and me to guard Christian, but we had appealed and argued against them, and finally they left us as we were. A few months later, Dimitri and I had come out openly as a couple. There was uproar from all the royals who wanted to use it as another excuse to change Lissa's guardian, but after the first few months when they saw how dedicated we still were, they dropped their complaints. Dimitri and I 'moved in' together, if you could call it that, and with Eddie as Lissa's other guardian, everything seemed to be going well.

_'If anything can go wrong, it will.' –Unknown._

_**Sneak peak at the sequel**__** to this story! True Love? Or The End? (It's posted up now!)**_

The attacks started when I was six and Marie was four. I don't remember much except for the fact that mummy and daddy burst into my room when the sun was high in the sky. Mummy had Marie in her arms and daddy had a few bags in his hands. He was trying to wake me up and get some clothes on over my pyjamas while mummy grabbed my backpack and stated shoving more of my clothes into it. My clothes went in there; along with my favourite book and my teddy that Aunty Lissa bought for me. She picked up a few toys and then daddy scooped me up. I started to realise it wasn't a game anymore. Mummy looked scared while daddy's face was pale and anxious. Then I heard the shouting. There were people in our house and we were trapped upstairs.

Instantly daddy got into a fighting stance like the ones he'd been teaching me; and mummy did the same. He was slightly in front trying to protect all of us, but I knew how much mummy loved him; she wouldn't let him fight alone. A line from their wedding popped into my head. _'Til death us do part.'_ I'd only been four when I heard it; and hadn't understood, but I did now. No matter how much mummy and daddy loved us; there was something between them, a stronger love than I'd ever seen; that made them cling to each other. They were going to fight to save me and Marie; but they were going to do it by each others sides. The only way they would stop was if they were dead.

That was four years ago. We were lucky that time. Mum and dad were able to hold off the people that tried to take me and Marie until Uncle Adrian, Aunty Lissa, Uncle Christian and Uncle Eddie arrived. But it had been close. Mum got hit in the head hard, too hard; and if Aunty Lissa hadn't arrived, mum would have died. And _they_ would have been one step closer to getting us.

The attacks were random, sporadic and always tried to catch us unawares. We found out that they were after Marie because she was the only child conceived between two dhampirs. They wanted me because I was human. A liability. Or an asset in some peoples eyes. They wanted to take me so that when I grew up I could be used as a spy; to find strigoi and pretend that I wanted to work for them, in return for eternal life when I'd finished. And then tell them where the strigoi were and about their plans. Because I was human; I was supposedly selfish and materialistic in this way; and I was supposed to be grateful that they'd allowed mum and dad to keep me; rather than dump me in some adoption agency. Mum and dad always stood up for me though. Told them that I was their son; and that I had every right to know about their world. The world of dhampirs, alchemists and vampires; both Moroi and Strigoi. They would never give me up, and they would never give Marie up. Not so she could be used as a science experiment to see how she came about; and if it could happen again.

Of course _they_ didn't like that; and so the attacks continued.

**If you liked it and want me to continue, then please let me know! Thank you so much for reading True Love Never Runs Smooth; and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it =]**

Again a huge hug to everyone who reviewed, favourited or alerted this story; Crazy Runner, Bella Destinee Rose Belikov, rivereq, CaRiNeSs, GoldenIvy, shyshy1016, snowgoose, lilmissryry, gracefish21, MaggieChauvin, jeaniemaea, lovedimitri, sair-Roza-Belikov, , DimitrixXxLover, Dimka's Roza, Katherine Rose Rulz, Zonexi, hanane, IloveCeci,

missa27, LittleDhampir123, Ri-nocemoose, readsalot8, Nicole Rain, Little Miss Evil, Missy, crystal 49s, Millie79, tmonkey726, rhegan, Aiko no Kaze, littlemissoutofmyway, Readheadtress, , soccaplayer71, RosemarieBelikov, Tiwilightfan023, VampireEva, 1234Rose,

missy385, Beth Ann Cullen, anastasiac, bloopee, Ange1punk, Capribaby1228, zoe0316, Cherrygirl132, Cool-Kiddo, RoseElla, NCISprobette, huntress35, buklover96, shadowstorm1105, Airvamp12, Black Iris 95, ohh-KATIE-RoSE, sprinkles4cookies, ( ), iluvdimka, cookie932, Vampire Crazz, Silverose17,

alice-roza cullen-belikova, StephMarieBelikov, lulumarie02, roxieknoxie, Goddess Life, JJayGurl, DarkDaughter1318, SWEmicca, iPodJaZzy, amberrosalie, Vampire-Academy 4ever, laineylane03, Aileen Hathaway, CKessinger08, Lottie, cubanamerican, jshagan,

vampirelover081, anp2013, RosalineMarie, Yan-reader26, wilkinson54, Cici2243, SofiaNo, talkygirl, demon moonlight godess, bookcraz, Katherine1753, jessie80, Dimitrigirl27, RozaBelikov22, rls66, Danivonn and vampiregirlxOxO.

Thank you so much!

Denicia xx


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